(WASHINGTON EXAMINER) — Almost three years after achieving the pro-life movement’s initial long-term legal goal of reversing Roe v. Wade, and as we continue to work towards increased protections for the unborn, the cultural and practical work of supporting moms and building a robust life-supporting culture is more crucial than ever. And Mother’s Day is a perfect opportunity to reflect on how to do that.
As a mom, Mother’s Day is always very special to me — but this year more than ever. This year, as the new leader of an iconic pro-life organization, I’m reflecting not just on the beautiful challenge that is motherhood, but also on the tangible support mothers need — especially those facing an unexpected pregnancy or raising a child in difficult circumstances. Now, more than ever, our movement must bring our formidable network, our nationwide resources, and our unmatched zeal to bear on offering holistic, hands-on support to moms who need it most.
A good starting point on the policy front is the recently introduced More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed Act. This bill offers Congress an opportunity to do something both meaningful and practical: empower women by offering concrete support and resources during the critical prenatal, postpartum, and early childhood periods. I hope it will be passed with bipartisan support.
Legislation must be only a part of the effort, however. Institutions at all levels of society should devote themselves to walking with mothers, too. I’ve seen firsthand what’s possible when institutions take this mission seriously. In a previous role at a university, I founded a program to support pregnant and parenting members of our community — from undergrads facing an unplanned pregnancy to grad students starting families and even faculty balancing work and family life. With the backing of key leaders across the university, we created a program that provided support, tailored to the concrete needs of our particular community — and it has been a great success.
To design this type of truly effective support for women, we must understand the cultural and practical pressures that come to bear on pregnant women. Our society tells young women that motherhood, especially when unplanned, will derail their dreams—that they must choose between their future and their child. This unfair and offensive narrative exacts a real cost from women and their babies. According to data from The Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood’s research center, 74% of women who choose abortion cite concerns about their future. Pair this with the second most cited reason, which is financial concerns, for 73% of women choosing abortion — and you have the perfect storm: women fear their future will be derailed and they will be mired in poverty.
These numbers are a call to action for the pro-life movement. We have to counter the idea that motherhood is a threat to women, and offer steady, compassionate, and practical support that allows women to say yes to life without saying no to their future. If financial concerns drive many abortion decisions, then pro-life engagement and all people of good will must focus on ensuring that women have access to the economic support and tangible resources that they need in order to confidently choose life for their baby.
Here’s the good news: this support already exists, across our nation. Over 2,700 pregnancy-care centers and maternity homes in communities large and small stand ready to offer holistic support — material, educational, emotional, and psychological — for pregnant women and new mothers. In my first few months leading the March for Life, I’ve had the privilege of visiting several of these centers across the country as my travels have taken me to Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, and beyond. Each one is rooted in and responsive to its particular community, and run by staff and volunteers devoted wholeheartedly to walking with women through an unexpected pregnancy and empowering them to know their own strength as mothers.
Demand for the life-affirming services and support offered by PRCs and maternity homes is high, and we should all commit ourselves to helping them as they help women. The MOMS Act would make additional government resources available to nonprofits that assist moms, but government support is not enough; this is an opportunity for the entire community, including businesses, faith communities, schools, universities, and neighbors, to step up and ensure they have the resources and staffing necessary to serve women effectively.
Many women who get abortions didn’t want to have one, but feel hemmed in by their circumstances. This fact should compel us all to act — with urgency and compassion — to ensure that no woman feels she must end the life of her child for lack of support. That will continue to be a key part of my work at the March for Life, and I invite all who care about moms and their babies to join me.
Jennie Bradley Lichter is the president of March for Life Education and Defense Fund, and formerly served as Deputy Assistant to President Trump and Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.
