Feminists For Life - Mission and Purpose

Mission and Purpose

FFL describes itself as a non-sectarian, nonpartisan, grassroots organization, and its members as believing in "the strength of women and the potential of every human life," refusing "to choose between women and children," believing that "no woman should be forced to choose between sacrificing her education and career plans and sacrificing her child," and as rejecting violence and exploitation.

FFL describes its broader vision as opposing all forms of violence, which it considers "inconsistent with the core feminist principles of justice, nonviolence and nondiscrimination", including the death penalty, assisted suicide, euthanasia, infanticide and child abuse. FFL strives for the traditional feminist goal of equality for women in the workplace. FFL maintains that its pro-life positions are not merely compatible with feminism, but are the natural conclusion of feminist values.

With respect to abortions allegedly required to save the life of the mother, FFL states that it "refuse to choose between women and children." FFL contends that doctors sometimes advise abortion because "they are unaware of other options or because they are pressured by fear of malpractice suits." FFL argues that physicians "should treat both patients and do what they can to save both lives his is what was done before the Roe decision was handed down"." With respect to ectopic pregnancies (which are not medically classified as abortion), FFL states that, "since the child has no chance of survival, and the mother can survive if the pregnancy is ended, we must do what we can to save her. To let both die would not be pro-life."

FFL's pro-life positions have been criticized by some traditional feminists. Katha Pollitt, columnist for The Nation claims that FFL seeks to make abortion illegal in all cases, including those of rape, incest, health, major fetal defects and "even some abortions most doctors would say were necessary to save the woman's life." Former FFL board member Sharon Long responded that "FFL opposes the criminalization of women (as almost everyone in the prolife movement does) and focuses our efforts on freeing women from abortion by addressing the issues reported by the Guttmacher Institute--and working along with prochoice advocates to check off our task list." Pollitt also claims that FFL president Serrin Foster "professed ignorance" about rates of death and injury in countries where abortion has been made illegal.