The Sacrifice of Low-Income Women's Reproductive Rights

Former president of Catholics for Choice Frances Kissling writes in a Women's Media Center exclusive that classism, racism, and slick political consultants sent the pro-choice down the wrong path three decades ago, when they chose not to fight tooth and nail to repeal the Hyde Amendment.

The 1976 legislation yanked abortion funding from Medicaid, pushing low-income women toward dangerous back-alley and DIY procedures. The still-developing reproductive rights movement essentially went eh, what do those welfare queens matter anyway, choosing to instead to rally the troops against the specter of maybe a possible constitutional amendment banning abortion. (The repro rights movement often gets an undeservedly bad rep as having a white, middle class agenda, but in this case, the criticism seems deserved. Shame.)

If anything, low-income women are the most vulnerable population when it comes to reproductive rights -- because money makes the world go 'round, and enough of it will often get a relatively safe abortion, legal or no. This remains true around the globe even today. Financial restraints can also keep low-income women from being able to access adequate birth control or emergency contraception, which in turn increase the need for an abortion. Which they can't afford.

In the process of abandoning poor women, the reproductive rights movement shot itself in the foot by allowing the message to stand "that abortion was immoral and that no taxpayer should be obliged to pay for something they think is immoral." So now, Congress views cutting deals that infringe on funding for reproductive rights a perfectly acceptable compromise to secure health reform. And now they're going after everybody's insurance plans, which hits middle class women where it hurts.

Kissling argues that the repeal of the Hyde Amendment "must become the number one priority of the prochoice movement and an explicit goal of the larger women's movement," especially if the health reform bill with its restrictions on abortion coverage passes. Her prescription for giving the movement the juice it need to get this done? We must discuss reproductive rights as an issue of human rights and social justice (because "choice" can sure sound wimpy), and gain broader support by focusing equally on "restoration of funding for abortion as well as a commitment to ensuring that no woman has to choose abortion for solely economic reasons." Sounds like a recipe for success.

Photo credit: It'sGreg