Early feminists were staunchly opposed to legal abortion.Women have always been a focus of pro-life efforts in the United States, and that is certainly the case at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
But this year, that will take on an added level of meaning as the March for Life celebrates the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
The theme of the march is “Life Empowers: Pro-Life Is Pro-Woman.”
Jeanne Mancini, head of the March for Life, noted that two women who fought for the right to vote were staunch opponents of legalized abortion: Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul. In fact, they called abortion “the ultimate exploitation of women,” according to a video produced to promote this year’s march.
“Unlike many radical feminists of the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century, these women realized that abortion does not empower women,” Mancini and Alexandra DeSanctis, a staff writer at National Review, wrote in the Daily Signal.
A promotional video on the March for Life website says that 30 million female babies have been killed since abortion’s legalization in the U.S.
The March for Life, beginning on the National Mall on Friday, January 24, will be preceded by the March for Life Youth Rally the day before. Speakers will include Abby Johnson, with music provided by The Restless. Erika Bachiochi, a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, will keynote the March for Life Conference simultaneously.
The Rose Dinner on Friday evening will feature Sister Bethany Madonna of the Sisters of Life as keynoter. The events are at the Renaissance D.C. Downtown Hotel.
