In recent years, in the face of a constantly escalating woman-hating assault on abortion rights, a large part of the so-called "pro-choice movement" has focused on raising money to fund abortions as they become increasingly difficult for women to access. Overwhelmingly, they have done this instead of mobilizing mass political struggle to defeat and reverse the attacks on abortion.
Now, the Supreme Court is poised to gut or overturn women's fundamental right to abortion within months.
Isn't it time (really, long past time) for those who care about the right to abortion enough to help fund it to STAND UP and WAGE A FIGHT IN THE STREETS TO DEFEAT THIS ASSAULT ON ABORTION RIGHTS AND THE ENSLAVEMENT OF WOMEN?
By their own admission, the National Network of Abortion Funds have been able to assist only a fraction of those who have reached out to them for help. In 2019, for example, their website says they were able to assist only 26% of the 215,573 people who called them. And that is only counting the small percentage of people who knew to call the Funds in the first place!
If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade (the decision that legalized abortion), this would immediately eradicate legal abortion in nearly half the states in this country. Forty-one percent of women of childbearing age nationwide would see their nearest abortion clinic close! There's no way that Abortion Funds could possibly keep pace with the skyrocketing need this would create. And there's no reason to believe that Abortion Funds will be allowed to operate on any meaningful scale for long if the Christian fascist juggernaut driving this assault on abortion is not fought and defeated!
It must be stated bluntly: As a service, Abortion Funds help some (a small minority of) women and others access a crucial right. But, as a “strategy,” focusing on funding abortion is deadly! In fact, if pro-choice people restrict themselves to abortion charity, no matter how many women they help in the short term, they will—despite their “best intentions”—be facilitating a future where all women are enslaved.
In contrast, if we fill the streets with our fury, not just for a day but relentlessly and in growing numbers, we can wake up and mobilize millions throughout society who do not want to see women slammed backwards. Through this kind of struggle, we can change the whole political atmosphere and what woman-haters—from the Supreme Court to the streets—feel they can get away with. This can not only beat back this assault on abortion rights but also bring closer a world where women and all people are free.
Show the world where you stand March 8th, International Women's Day. Join in protests and marches to declare: We Refuse to See the Supreme Court Deny Women's Humanity and Decimate Their Rights! Abortion on Demand and Without Apology!
Learn more, find a protest, or send in plans for your area at: RiseUp4AbortionRights.org.