ProLife Feminism: Yesterday and Today

by Mary Krane Derr, Rachel M. MacNair

"We need a new way of seeing!"
--Jennifer Ferguson, South African musician & Former MP, African National Congress

Is abortion on "demand" a woman's right, or a wrong inflicted on women? Is it a mark of liberation, or a sign that women are not yet free? From Anglo-Irish writer Mary Wollstonecraft to Kenyan environmentalist and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, many eighteenth- through twenty-first-century feminists have opposed it as violence against fetal lives arising from violence against female lives. This more inclusive, surprisingly old-but-new vision of reproductive choice is called prolife feminism.

This book's original edition in 1995 offered brilliant essays on abortion and related social justice issues by the likes of suffragists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer. A decade of activism and research since has made this second, greatly expanded second edition necessary. It not only documents the continuing evolution of prolife feminism worldwide, but more accurately represents the rich diversity of past and present women--and men--who have stood up for both mother and child. It thus is a vital, unique resource for peacemaking in the increasingly globalized abortion war.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction

474 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This powerful book is very well documented. It has full articles from many of the most famous women's rights activists of the 1800s and early 1900s. It also includes some profiles and articles from some less famous but equally important activists of the 19th and early 20th century. From the point of view of a former women's studies major, it was fascinating to read the bios of feminist activists I had not heard of before, and to learn about these extraordinary women. I also liked that the book did not meerely quote these women, but included the entire articles so that you could see the quotes about abortion in context. Therefore, there is no way to say that the passages were taken out of context or that they dont' represent the women's true views. I learned about a number of women who were heroes of the women's rights movement, and learned a great deal about historical feminism, even as it relates to issues other than abortion.

The first section of the book is dedicated to early feminists, but the second section is written by contemporary feminists who are pro-life. They're articles are compelling, and they all have a great deal of experience fighting for women. Most of them are active not just in the abortion issue, but in other issues pertaining to women's rights and to other "life' issues such as opposition to capital punishment and opposition to war and poverty.

This is an excellent introduction to the pro-life activism from the left. It is very educational, but also well written and interesting. It shows that the pro-life movement is not all right wing conservatives, but that there is actually a very strong faction of pro-life activists on the left.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I don't know which side of this issue I am on, this book makes a pretty good case for the pro-life side with feminism to back it up. It is a compilation of essays written by feminists for the pro-life cause.

[Steph Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became interested in this book after trying to get through Carol Gilligan's _In a Different Voice_ but realizing I could not look to Gilligan's examples of feminist morality, ie. women who had had abortions, some of them multiple abortions and some of them in cases of affairs with married men, for whom Gilligan claimed that their higher morality justified their right to choose. And I became frustrated that this choice had become, for many feminists, the most important women's "right." Reading _Prolife Feminism: Yesterday and Today_ was enlightening because it showed me that the right to an abortion was not an idea held by the original proponents of women's rights, and that abortion, in fact, was identified by many early feminists as being contrary to their goals of improving social conditions for women. From reading it I also learned that the prolife feminist movement is still active, but unfortunately faces great obstacles. I was glad to find, in this book, intelligent, compassionate women who understand the issues and are able to articulate them in ways that are informed by philosophy, research, and critical thinking regarding consistency of ethic. But I fear that these women are not well represented or studied in feminist programs at public institutions. Nevertheless, it is encouraging to read their work. I was interested to hear that Rachel MacNair lives in Kansas City, as do I. It would be great if the city recognized her half as much as it recognizes legend George Brett of the Kansas City Royals, who, after paying for two women to get abortions, stated, "I know I'm fertile. . . . Getting a couple of girls pregnant gave me a sense that it's no sweat. I can have kids any time I want. I've had the security of knowing I'm a proven performer."

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent arguments for pro-life feminism! Everyone needs to read this book, especially those who will refuse to read it because it makes them angry. This book includes a wide range of voices with a wide range of opinions on issues such as religion, politics, and contraception, showing that pro-life feminism is NOT a monolith!
I really appreciated that, although this book promotes the first wave feminist perspective on abortion, it doesn't brush over the negative aspects of first wave feminism, such as racism, which is a mistake a lot of pro-life feminists make. Some information may be a little outdated because it was published in 1995, but this book is still highly recommended.

[Anna Keating · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good resource for 15 years.