Day 7 is dedicated to a cause which is a bit controversial in public discourse, but something which we at Goddesses Rising, strongly advocate for and often openly discuss. We have written about reproductive justice in many ways and our beliefs that all people should be able to make decisions about their bodies and lives without government interference. Easier said than done. This gets heavier when you deal with reproductive rights, particularly abortion.
Abortion is a common, legal medical procedure if you strip away all the politics that go with it. It is also not something women do for fun and games, nor is it an easy decision. Women have them because they want to be good mothers and they can't be for economic, mental, physical and a whole host of reasons. Many women having abortions are low-income, under 30, women who are already moms, women of color, not receiving support from the father or any combination of these. The stats below from the Guttmacher Institute tell the story:
Eighteen percent of U.S. women obtaining abortions are teenagers; those aged 15-17 obtain 6% of all abortions, teens aged 18-19 obtain 11%, and teens under age 15 obtain 0.4%.
Women in their twenties account for more than half of all abortions; women aged 20–24 obtain 33% of all abortions, and women aged 25-29 obtain 24%.
Thirty percent of abortions occur to non-Hispanic black women, 36% to non-Hispanic white women, 25% to Hispanic women and 9% to women of other races.
Thirty-seven percent of women obtaining abortions identify as Protestant and 28% as Catholic.
Women who have never married and are not cohabiting account for 45% of all abortions.
About 61% of abortions are obtained by women who have one or more children.
Forty-two percent of women obtaining abortions have incomes below 100% of the federal poverty level ($10,830 for a single woman with no children). Twenty-seven percent of women obtaining abortions have incomes between 100-199% of the federal poverty level.*
The reasons women give for having an abortion underscore their understanding of the responsibilities of parenthood and family life. Three-fourths of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals; three-fourths say they cannot afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or the ability to care for dependents; and half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.
Despite the legality of abortion in this country, many states put up barriers which make it difficult for women to access these services. What's insane about it is that often in such places, birth control is not readily accessible either. It's ass backwards and emphasizes that it's more about control and dogma than really saving lives. Anyhoo, NYAAF is the New York Abortion Access Fund, an all-volunteer organization that assists low-income women in obtaining abortion services. Though most women are in New York State, sometimes they assist women from other states in dire situations with restrictive laws and set them up to come here. NYAAF has helped 122 women in the past year and provided $60,000 to health clinics, more than twice they were able to do last year. This seems to reflect an increased need for assistance in this down economy and increasing lack of access to reproductive health services.
If it's a moral choice for you to choose not to have an abortion, I respect that 100%. But dictating that a woman must have a baby she can't care for because abortion is morally wrong to you is unacceptable. Pro-choice isn't pro-abortion. This is a matter of reproductive justice and a small contribution in the name of another believer in choice and autonomy will directly help a woman in need access her legal right to choose.
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