Feminists for Life

Feminists for Life (FFL) is a non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit pro-life feminist organization established in 1972. The organization describes itself thus:

History

Background

Though Feminists for Life is only a few decades old, FFL professes to "stand on more than two hundred years of pro-life feminist history" (The American Feminist vol. 12 no. 1, p. 5), claiming to continue the tradition of early feminists such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Wollstonecraft, Alice Paul. "Without known exception," Feminists for Life president Serrin Foster said, "the early feminists condemned abortion in the strongest possible terms," ("The Feminist Case Against Abortion," The American Feminist vol. 11 nos. 2-3, p. 29).

Related Topics:
Pro-life feminist - Susan B. Anthony - Elizabeth Cady Stanton - Mary Wollstonecraft - Alice Paul

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One quote from early feminist Mattie Brinkerhoff in particular appears on the inside front cover of almost every issue of FFL's magazine, The American Feminist: "When a man steals to satisfy hunger, we may safely conclude that there is something wrong in society?so when a woman destroys the life of her unborn child, it is an evidence that either by education or circumstances she has been greatly wronged," (The Revolution, 4(9):138-9, September 2, 1869).

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The Organization

Feminists for Life was founded in Ohio in 1972 by feminist activists Pat Goltz and Cathy Callaghan. Goltz had been expelled from the Ohio Chapter of the National Organization of Women (NOW) for arguing that abortion violated feminist principles and distributing pro-life literature.

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In 1976 organizational management was moved to Wisconsin. The group's activities focused on being a presence at both pro-life and feminist events, distributing literature, and writing letters to various publications. The organization's Sisterlife newsletter was launched in this era, as well as a national workshop that became an annual conference for pro-life feminists. Many members supported both the Equal Rights Amendment and a Human Life Amendment as "complementary in their concern for human life," (c.f. "Reflecting as FFL Celebrates Its Tenth Birthday" and "HLA and ERA?Inedible Alphabet Soup?" in Pro-Life Feminism: Different Voices, ISBN 0919225225, pp. 17 & 35).

Related Topics:
Equal Rights Amendment - Human Life Amendment

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In 1984 FFL's headquarters were moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Feminists for Life began to receive more national exposure during this time through media interviews, involvement in a broad spectrum of pro-life issues, and invitations to speak at pro-life events. Two anthologies of pro-life feminist essays were published, Pro-Life Feminism: Different Voices (1985, ISBN 0919225225) and Prolife Feminism Yesterday and Today (1995, ISBN 0945819625).

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In 1994 the organization relocated its national office to Washington, D.C., where Feminists for Life reorganized its structure, updated its image, revamped the Sisterlife newsletter as The American Feminist magazine, created its first website, and began to develop new outreach programs, including the College Outreach Program. FFL also became more involved in political advocacy, working to ensure the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and enhanced enforcement for child support, as well as fighting against child exclusion provisions in the Welfare Reform Act.

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::(Primary source: Rosemary Oelrich Bottcher, "The Conception and Life of FFL," The American Feminist vol. 9 no. 2, pp. 3-6.)

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