Most women who have experienced an abortion really don't want to talk about it, but this topic has generated constant conversation in statehouses across the country since the U.S. Supreme Court last June overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Employers and their advisers also are part of those delicate discussions and will continue to be as they
As a woman who suffered multiple miscarriages, my view on this is from a place of grace. I remember reading the coding on my explanation of
Obtaining a driver's license requires more exams than terminating a pregnancy. Why? As a society, we all are responsible for figuring out where the break in valuing life happened. If a woman was a victim of sexual assault, then what kind of men are we raising? If a mother who so desperately wanted her baby turns out to have a terminal diagnosis, did we provide the support she needs past the procedure?
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Grieving an intentional or unintentional loss is hard. I can guarantee you 99% of women who have terminated a pregnancy (by choice or not) have at least once remembered that child's due date, or how old they would be at the time, secretly looked at the baby section, and wondered what would have been. Conception is a sacred thing, and we need to make sure our society values the meaning behind it.
I know every situation has extenuating circumstances, and in such cases, I grieve with those mothers. However, I also grieve with the girls who were forced into an abortion by a parent or partner, and while being lost in a world of choices, never really had one. Abortion isn't an easy subject, nor should it be. Instead of focusing so much on if it can or can't be done, let's educate everyone across the board and make men equally responsible for the conception of life. And let's make our girls strong enough to ask for help and be willing to lend a hand if they need it.
Ultimately, we need to continue empowering women and men to make us feel safe, valued and loved. If we dig deep into the root of the problem, we can cause impactful change. Otherwise, we are just putting a Band-Aid over a gunshot wound. This isn't about right or wrong, red or blue. It's about showing empathy to those who so desperately need it.
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As a broker, this has been one of the hardest conversations for me to have with my groups, and I don't think I am the only one facing this issue. Catalyst reported 30% of employees were reconsidering job decisions based on how their employer dealt with the abortion issue. In some states, it wasn't much of a choice. However, we opened the door to allow multiple people that have nothing to do with our rights as women to now have a say, and we have now placed employers in a tough spot.
Changing laws have complicated their ability to offer safe and legal abortion coverage, which raises several questions that will be examined in a companion commentary in the weeks ahead. I tell all my clients to stand firmly by their beliefs, culture, vision and mission.
This really is about continuing to use our platform as brokers to educate clients both on a legislative and practical front. We have to make sure we use our knowledge to empower decision makers when they are put in a corner to make good choices. My job is to continue being an educator and using my
