Missionaries of the Sacred

For some women, abortion appears to be the only alternative, a solution to a difficult situation. Yet a look at some of the reasons women have abortions reveals cause for concern about other social justice issues.

For instance, a significant percentage of women who have abortions cite financial inability to care for a child (or another child) as the reason. 22% cite unemployment, 23% cite that they cannot afford the basic needs of life, 28% cite inability to afford a baby and child care (note: participants in the survey could choose multiple reasons). Catholic Social Teaching tells us that every person has basic rights, including the right to medical care, shelter, adequate food, education, etc. Every person should also be able to find work which provides a standard of living worthy of the dignity of the human person (and we should care for those who are unable to find such work through no fault of their own). The fact that nearly a quarter of women who have an abortion cite inability to afford the basic needs of life as a reason suggests that as a society, we need to better address the injustices of poverty and inadequate employment.

Another underlying issue is how pregnancy affects a woman’s education and career goals. 38% of women who have abortions cite that having a baby would interfere with their job/career and 38% also say a baby would interfere with their education. 21% cite not being able to leave their job to care for a baby. Although these reasons certainly do not justify taking an innocent life, they strongly suggest that much work still needs to be done to ensure that pregnant women are not unfairly discriminated against. Working women should not be fired because they are pregnant, yet the fact that over a fifth of women cite inability to leave their job to care for a baby suggests that we need to find ways to create a more family friendly work environment, where new mothers can take a temporary leave of absence without losing their jobs or fearing that they will be discriminated against in the future. Pregnant students should not be expelled from school, pressured to leave, or otherwise prevented from completing their studies (although alternate plans made need to be made and their graduation date may need to be delayed).

As we work to build a culture which respects and values life, let us work to both reduce the number of abortions and to correct underlying the injustices which may influence a woman’s decision to have an abortion. Abortion is not the solution and choosing between having a job and having a child (or between finishing school and having a child) is hardly “choice.” Women should not have to “choose” between one injustice and another. Therefore, let us work to truly empower women and families by providing concrete assistance to pregnant women and families in need and working to overcome poverty, eliminate discrimination, and create family friendly workplaces.