Imagining What Leadership Looks Like
What does leadership really look like? Can poor, marginalized women be leaders? Can these women contribute to the discussion around reproductive justice? Do they have a say so in the policy decisions around the bodies they live in? We at the Chicago Abortion Fund believe that the women we serve can be and should be leaders in the fight for reproductive justice. Our Statement of Values clearly outlines this belief and how we hope to achieve reproductive justice for the women we serve. So when we started the “My Voice, My Choice” leadership group a year ago in March, I was a bit surprised by some of the concerns around this direction we needed to take. We were actively seeking to empower the women we’ve given abortion funding to. Providing critical funding and leadership opportunities – sounds easy right? Well, not so much.
What could be wrong with empowering the women we’ve given funding to? If a woman comes to CAF for assistance, we provide her with the financial resources to pay for her abortion and then invite her back to the table to become a leader, what could possibility be wrong with that? This is a good question that I would like to know the answer to. However my gut feeling is that issues around power, oppression, classism and racism play some role in these complaints. Is there something wrong with poor, marginalized women being leaders in this movement?
It is a known fact that historically the mainstream pro-choice movement has perpetuated racism and classism by not only ignoring the very real needs of women of color and low-income women but failing to see them as leaders in the movement. The movement has failed to bring the women they serve to the table for discussion around their needs and to engage them in leadership opportunities. The women we serve are not invisible. We actively aim to empower the women we serve, by helping them discover and utilize resources, by supporting their abortion decisions and finally by bringing them into the decision-making body of the organization.
Some say that the other side is winning the war because they are framing and defining the agenda for us. I say we are equally guilty if we frame this fight and define the agenda on our end without the input from women of color, poor and low-income women – all marginalized voices. We have to look at leadership through a different lens. And we must create visibility around these often ignored voices because not only do we eliminate the shame around a personal decision but we provide an opportunity for the women we serve to be heard.
The women that come through CAF are not viewed as leaders in society’s eyes, yet these are the women we are actively recruiting for this leadership group. They deserve the right to be a part of the conversation that is happening about their bodies! Is it justice that the women we serve have no say so in their reproductive health? Is it justice that we, in the pro-choice movement, make decisions without the input of the women we are serving? One of the many things that was confirmed to me at the “From Abortion Rights to Social Justice” conference in April was the way to change power is from the community up. Reproductive freedom without conversations around class, sexism, oppression and privilege continues to marginalize those women we serve.
Bringing women to the table and providing them with leadership opportunities that not only will empower themselves but will empower other women in their families and communities is vital to the world we live in. Simply put, when we provide women with information and education, they can make informed decisions about their lives. And in order for women to be full participants in society, they need FULL control over their reproductive health….which means that should have the opportunity to make some policy decisions too!
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“Choice Without Access is Injustice!”
The issue of “choice” plays an insignificant role in abortion rights for women of color, low-income women and teenage girls if “access” is restricted. Even if abortion is legal, if women can’t “access” abortion services, what is the point? As restrictive laws denying “access” to abortion services (the Hyde Amendment, parental notification, etc.) are enacted and abortion providers dwindle by state, it is obvious that women especially low-income women, young girls and women of color will suffer the greatest. Without the ability to obtain safe, legal and affordable abortion services, these women will resort to other measures, often dangerous and life threatening. Further, without both “choice and access” women and girls will be forced to carry pregnancies to term when they are not ready to do so. Women and girls who decide to have abortions do so after they have determined that they are either not ready for, do not want or cannot financially support children.
“Access” has been a hot button topic lately in the pro-choice community. Whether it is the issue of parental notification laws and what those laws mean for the women and girls we serve or the grassroots efforts and organizing around repealing the Hyde Amendment, there is a lot of conversation amongst many at the reproductive rights table. Still, as the pro-choice community continues the fight for abortion rights, a key issue often ignored is how these changes, restrictive laws and paternalistic measures really affect women of color, marginalized women and poor teenage girls (who by the way can make their own medical decisions if they are pregnant or already a parent). Those who can afford abortion procedures, have the means to “access” abortion services. Those who don’t are out of luck.
In a Guttmacher Institute population survey from 2005 -2006, there were 289,000 women and girls between the ages of 15 – 44 years in Illinois receiving Medicaid. This means that these women and girls are in the prime of their reproductive lives and may need abortion services at some point. How do they pay for their procedures if they are on Medicaid? The Hyde Amendment prohibits Medicaid funding for abortions. The affect this one particular law has on low-income women and girls is dramatic! Women who are young, poor and struggling to make ends meet truly do not have total control over their reproductive health. They do not have a choice! They do not have access!
So the question becomes not whether abortion is legal for the women we serve, but if it’s so legal why can’t poor women, teenage girls and women of color “access” abortions as part of their overall reproductive health? Despite the economic status and class of a woman, she should be able to control her “choice” and have “access” to that choice. From lack of economic means, restrictive laws, diminishing abortion providers or no providers available, “access” for women becomes a key point in the argument for reproductive justice. Poor women need choices. What all women and girls need despite their financial resources is true opportunities to control the bodies they live in.
Traditionally abortion funds have provided financial assistance to low-income women, with no follow-up services. We here at CAF, in existence since 1985, have never provided follow-up services. CAF realizes that we need to provide not only funding but more meaningful services and put in place innovative programs and strategies that will holistically assist the most marginalized women in society beyond abortion funding. The women we serve are existing on the margins of society, unaware of the reproductive health movement and the power in their voice and choice. They have been ignored and marginalized. We at CAF believe that the voices of these women need to be heard in important settings where their voices can indeed make a difference in the lives they live. We believe the possibility for change in their lives can be considerably substantial and life altering.
In March 2007 we started a exciting and innovative project! The “My Voice, My Choice” leadership group is a social change project that allows women to become empowered and change their lives. The goal of this group is to provide empowerment through leadership trainings and workshops so that the women we serve can not only advocate for themselves but for other women in their communities as well. CAF understands this is a huge risk but in order to change women’s lives overall we must think about multifaceted ways of providing leadership to marginalized communities. We want to educate while organizing, giving the women in the leadership group the tools that will help them navigate certain situations, linking them to additional referral services and providing them a real opportunity have a real voice in a decision making process. The young women we are serving have to be at the table making their voices heard around “access and choice”. Their voices are often ignored and diminished, even when it concerns their own bodies! We want to change this. By coming to the table these women will not only be able to be a part of this movement, but they will be able to advocate for themselves and other women in their communities.
We are excited about this new opportunity and are confident that the leadership group is going to make some pretty powerful changes happen around “access”, “choice” and reproductive justice. So far, five women have joined the “My Voice, My Choice” leadership group and as the word continues to spread we anticipate many voices here at the table fighting for their right to safe, affordable and legal abortion services. It has already been determined that women have a legal right to abortions. However reproductive justice is about fairness. “Access” is a part of “Choice”. They can’t exist without each other. In a just society, they won’t exist without each other. It is a matter of fairness and equality.
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The Following is a Speech Given to Donors, Funders, Supporters and Clients on October 12th 2006 at Las Manos Gallery
As many of you know or may not know, the Chicago Abortion Fund went through a serious period of transformation in the last one and a half years. With staff transitions, the agency found itself not meeting the needs of the women we were there to serve. That was an unfortunate time for us. Several things contributed to this crisis that CAF found itself in.
All not-for-profits have suffered greatly from a decrease in foundation and donor support since 9/11. The political climate we were in and are still in is one of the worst in recent history. The Chicago Abortion Fund has been a barebones agency providing critical direct services to women in crisis day in and day out everyday.
I say all this because sometimes when there is a small staff doing crisis work, internal systems suffer. Some very real things happened, as it does with any organization. This combined with the other issues I mentioned led to huge internal changes. CAF is not unique in this aspect or situation. Not-for-profits all over the country are going through difficulties. A lot of these agencies are closing their doors. Sometimes organizations don't recover from these crises. And other times a few agencies get a special chance come back stronger than before. The Chicago Abortion Fund has been given this opportunity. The dedicated women governing the agency knew CAF still needed to exist and did everything in their power to ensure that existence. And you know what else is amazing? The phone kept ringing. Even during the crisis. The women we serve kept calling.
I know CAF has been through a lot and there are so many relationships that need to be rekindled. As the new executive director, I've put systems in place to ensure that CAF doesn't end up in this situation ever again. We are strengthening ourselves internally through strategic planning and working with a host of consultants. I know many of you have concerns. This I truly understand. But tonight I stand here and give you my word. I promise to be professional and trustworthy. I promise to makes sure that your financial support is handled in the most ethical way possible. I promise to assist the women and girls we serve with compassion and understanding. I also promised to make sure the voices of the most marginalized women are not ignored.
What does the future hold for CAF? Well, a lot of exciting things!
First and foremost, CAF received a marketing and design grant from firebelly design to develop a new tagline, logo, website and marketing materials to bolster our visibility and ensure our sustainability. After being in business for 20 years, CAF needed a facelift and also needed new and innovative ways to reach a broader range of donors, clients and supporters.
As of June 30th, CAF served 125 women with almost $33,000 in grants! Secondly, we intend to double the amount of women we serve and the amount of grants we distribute by the next fiscal year.
Thirdly, we believe in empowering the women we serve. So we will be developing pioneering ways to help women develop leadership skills so that they can advocate for not only themselves but for other women in their communities. For example in December we will be kicking off a new project called "My Voice", where women we have assisted will be invited to the table to attend leadership trainings, work on letter writing campaigns and become involved with CAF. The voices of these women are currently missing from this movement and we intend to change that.
Fourthly, we started a follow-up project this past July to track the women we serve. We are anxious to find out if the women are having trouble accessing health care services or birth control options. As well, we are continuing to link women to additional supportive services if they need it.
And lastly, with our new tag line "Make Choice Possible" and logo, we are cementing our existence into the reproductive health movement. Our logo of the interchanging and connecting circles represents the linking and continuous roles that the community, donors, foundations and our agency play in meeting the needs of low-income women.
Why does this all matter?
Well, we want to show women we serve, donors and funders that our mission is not confidential. We are proud of the work we do and we refuse to be invisible. We are proud to empower women. The logo along with the colors, are beautiful and compelling. By putting such a strong statement on our visibility, it lets the community know we are not going anywhere. Abortion is not a dirty word. We want to dispel the shame that surrounds a choice many women make and have a right to make.
Yes, we provide women with grants, but the grant is much more than just financial assistance. We are altering a woman's live by giving her choice over her reproductive health, empowering them in their decisions and being supportive after they have exercised that choice. We treat women with respect after so many other systems have failed them. By providing women with a positive experience in their reproductive health, we believe that they will feel empowered enough to advocate for themselves in other areas of their lives.