Feminist Speaks Out Against Abortion

Serrin M. Foster, the president of Feminists for Life of America, presented to a full Fong Auditorium last night what she called “the feminist case against abortion” and said women’s general needs are not being met in the United States.

Foster, a nationally-renowned advocate of women’s rights and an opponent of abortion rights, has worked with Feminists for Life since 1994.

Foster addressed a range of issues, including women’s difficulty balancing personal lives with an education or career, the decisions that well-known women have made in the past and the implications of abortion legislation.

In her speech, Foster described the history of feminism and its relation to anti-abortion movements.

Starting in the 1800s, Foster said, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other feminists initiated a sweeping advocacy of women’s rights, including the right to suffrage, property, free speech and education. They also believed in the right to femininity, Foster said, condemning abortion as “child murder” and “infanticide” and pointing to the hypocrisy of women treating their unborn children as property when they themselves had experienced discrimination and dehumanization.

Foster defined feminism as “the philosophy of embracing the rights of all human beings without exception.”

She opened with a discussion of the relevance of abortion, pregnancy and parenthood to college students, particularly those at Harvard. College students comprise a significant portion of the population affected by these issues, Foster said.

She blamed the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision Roe v. Wade for many of the harms that women face today.

“Since Roe, 40 million American children have been aborted,” she said, adding that on average, one in every three pregnancies results in abortion.

“A third of your classmates are missing,” she said as the audience fell silent.

Foster continued with a discussion of the resources available to students who wish to have both an education and a family. She listed family housing, child care and prolonged enrollment as accommodations all universities should provide. An unaccommodating society, she said, forces women to seek abortions as a last resort.

“Every 38 seconds a woman lays her body down and has an abortion. She does not do it for herself, but for the convenience of those around her,” Foster said. “They do it because they feel that they have no other choice.”

The two major causes of abortion, she added, were the lack of practical resources and emotional support.

Amanda R. Alvine, a Harvard graduate student who brought her baby to Foster’s speech, said she appreciated the emphasis Foster placed on creating options for families.

“It’s good to open the discourse so that we’re not constantly forced into either-or situations,” she said.

Foster also focused on the role that men play in parenting and childcare. She stressed the importance of male role models in young children’s lives, insisting that men need to be equally involved in parenthood and must contribute more than just “sperm and a checkbook.”

Max A. Pakaluk ’05, one of the many men in attendance, said he was impressed with Foster’s speech.

“I had never heard a pro-life feminist speak. It was a really cool experience,” Pakaluk said.

Laura E. Openshaw ’05, vice president of Harvard Right to Life (HRL), applauded Foster for her approach to divisive issues.

“Ms. Foster said a lot of things that have long needed to be said. She effectively identified the gap between two extremist positions, and recognized that the rights and well-being of all parties need to be considered,” Openshaw said.

As she concluded her remarks, Foster urged everyone in the audience to be active in supporting equal opportunities, greater recognition of women’s needs and the celebration of all life, regardless of its “shape, size, race, religion, age, location or background.”

“Our mission is to give women all that they deserve,” Foster said. “It is not enough to say no to abortion. We must also say yes to life.”

HRL, the Harvard Republican Club and the Institute of Politics sponsored the event.