Women Take Pro-Life Voice to Washington


by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family, CitizenLink

Congress will hear from hundreds of women who bear the message that abortion hurts women and kills their children.

Abortion advocates would like legislators to believe all women support the right to kill preborn children, but polls show a different story -- a majority of the nation's 143 million women are pro-life.

On April 26, an event called Real Women's Voices will offer an opportunity for women to bring a pro-life message to Washington, D.C.

Amanda Banks, federal issues analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said it is important for members of Congress to know that women want all children protected - whether by limiting embryonic stem-cell research, banning all forms of human cloning or making it illegal to transport a minor across state lines to get an abortion.

"There are millions of pro-life women around the country, but the other side has such a loud voice on this issue," she said. "It's that much more important that we, as pro-life women, make our voices heard to compete with that."

That's why pro-family organizations including Concerned Women for America, the National Right to Life Committee and Eagle Forum joined together to create Real Women's Voices.

"I think the name for this event is so appropriate. Women intrinsically have a heart for children - for nurturing and caring for children - and we want to defend their right to life," Banks said. "Real Women's Voices is about getting out there and letting legislators know real women believe in a right to life."

Those who participate in the event will have the chance to meet with other pro-life women before heading to the Capitol to concentrate on the issues that conservative women care most about.

"On Wednesday, April 26, women who participate will be trained before hitting the Senate and House offices," Banks said. "For the bulk of the day, we'll lobby individual members. Hopefully it will be a very effective day to make our voices heard on Capitol Hill."

Not everyone with a heart for protecting preborn children will be able to join the D.C. event, but there are other ways to make your voice heard.

"Women who want to be involved in some way, but who can't travel to Washington, can certainly pray for our effectiveness in the meetings we have that day," Banks said. "They can also participate by e-mailing or calling members of Congress."

At the top of the list of pro-family legislation to be discussed, Banks said, is the Child Custody Protection Act -- a bill that would make it illegal to circumvent parental-notification laws by transporting a minor across state lines to get an abortion. While the House has passed a version of bill, the Senate has not acted.

"The number one thing we can do for the Child Custody Protection Act," Banks said, "is to ask Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to bring it up for a vote this year."

Another important issue before Congress is embryonic stem- cell research. The House approved a bill that would overturn the president's policy limiting federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research to lines already in place as of August 2003. The process of extracting embryonic stem cells always requires the destruction of human life.

"The Senate has not acted on that and we have to be prepared for when they do," Banks said. "Women should ask their two senators to oppose embryonic stem-cell research."

Legislation that would ban all forms of human cloning has been in the works for several years, but nothing has passed in the current session.

"Ask your representative and your two senators to support a total ban on human cloning," she said. "If the legislation gets to the President, he will sign it."