Can you be both pro-life and a feminist?

[eveglass]

Yes, that's right! It's time for another round of "debate Julie"! In today's Gazette, there was a letter to the editor by Mary Ann Davis, who says that "you cannot be pro-life and call yourself a feminist." She's referencing this article, in which Janet Bagnall states, "Feminism is about equality, about a woman's right to make her own choices in life, including whether to continue a pregnancy. Without that right, women lose control over their lives."

I'm conflicted about this one. Personally, I'm pro-choice and totally against the idea of telling a woman that she must carry a pregnancy to term. However, if you truly believe that life begins at conception (as I think most pro-lifers do), and that abortions at any stage of a pregnancy are equivalent to murder, I imagine that you could still be pro-life and a feminist. I imagine that there are still ways of supporting women both before the pregnancies have started (comprehensive sex ed, free birth control pills and condoms, etc.) and after their pregnancies have ended (easy adoption services for women who would otherwise have aborted, affordable daycare and support networks for those who choose to keep the children, etc.).

So I'm not sure I agree that being pro-life necessarily excludes you from the feminist camp. Anyone want to take a side in the debate and tell me where I'm going wrong?

Comments

[terheyt.livejournal.com]

The best argument I've heard (but I forget the source) is that if you are Pro-Life, you don't trust women. You believe that you, sitting around your dinner table chatting with friends, know more and have better judgement than the woman faced with the decision to either have a life-altering, year-long, body modification, or to have a painful and dangerous surgery.

Making the decision for her, from the comfort of your home (or ballot booth come election time) says that you do not trust her to know what she is doing when she makes this decision.

You can be anti-abortion, and give her more information and support and try to convince her, but only if you don't trust her do you take the final decision out of her hands.

[eveglass.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. Interesting argument.