Roe v. Wade may have been overturned, but the struggle to protect the rights of women and the unborn has only just begun.
It’s now time for the conservative movement to put its money where its mouths have been. We must show women who will undoubtedly have unplanned pregnancies in states that essentially ban abortion that they are not alone. We must show them that they can bear a baby to term, and perhaps even raise the child, should they choose to do so.
There’s already competition: On Monday, the New York Times published a list of companies that have offered to pay for their employees’ travel expenses should they need to leave the state to get an abortion. It includes Disney, Tesla, and Johnson & Johnson, the company that made a name offering baby products.
Conservatives can’t leave their own endeavors entirely up to the government, although that shouldn’t be immediately discounted either. There’s no reason Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) paid leave program shouldn’t be up for strong consideration, for example. But conservatives must also encourage other means beyond the legislature. Women must lobby their employers for a work-life balance that allows them to raise kids, including paid leave. Churches and communities must bolster a support system for childcare, finances, education, and more.
Motherhood is not a calling for everyone, but it is not a burden to discount immediately due to unforeseen obstacles. In fact, for many women, motherhood is the highest calling they have and pales in comparison to a six-figure career, a thriving marriage, and world travel.
With the Supreme Court’s decision, we must help women see that women can be empowered now, not entrapped.
Nicole Russell is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist in Washington, D.C., who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
