2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Anti-abortion feminist speaks on women's rights
Kelly Brown
Issue date: 11/19/04 Section: News
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Students, faculty and community members filled Nunemaker Auditorium to hear Foster, president of Feminists for Life of America, outline "The Feminist Case Against Abortion."
"It was the stories of all the women who have had abortions, or men who have been affected by them, that inspired me to take up this cause," Foster said.
The talk was co-sponsored by Loyola Life, University Ministry, Residential Life, the Office of the President, the Jesuit Center, the Christian Legal Society, City College, the Student Government Association and the Women's Resource Center.
Foster began her speech with a call to action.
"There are so many things we can do to promote the rights of women and children ... I want to see some heavy lifting when you leave here tonight," she said.
Foster said abortion was antithetical to the feminist cause, because it discriminates against a huge segment of society in a fundamental way and uses violence and force in dealing with problems rather than peaceful solutions. She added that domestic violence, rape, euthanasia and equality issues are all inextricably linked to the abortion debate.
"Feminism is about reducing the use of force to overpower and coerce each other," she said.
Her analysis of feminism contradicting abortion included an extensive analysis of the first wave of feminism, which was anti-abortion. She brought up Mary Wollstonecraft, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucrecia Mott, all of whom in the past have made strong arguments against abortion. According to Foster, Stanton described abortion as infanticide, and quoted her as saying, "It is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit."
Foster said that the anti-abortion's view is varied and complex, with different factions envisioning different solutions to the problem.
