Pro-Life Dialogue: The Good Woman

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establishes women have no other role than mothers. As such, this construction of ‘motherhood’ limits women’s opportunities and capabilities because the dialogue does not give women the room to fulfill any other role.

The “Good” Woman

The arguments within the pro-life dialogue all point towards the development of a ‘good’ woman within the traditional framework. This image that is portrayed has distinct ramifications for pro-choice discourse. First, it is important to understand that the definition of ‘good’ by the pro-life community is achieved, in part, by maintaining the status quo. For example, women are expected to fulfill their biological destiny without “challenging the traditional roles extended to her of teacher, secretary, nurse, …show more content…

In an article in the Globe and Mail Jane Cawthorne asserts “there is still a strong link between the image of the good woman and the image of the good mother. If you are not going to be a mother, if you dare to be childless by choice or end a pregnancy, you are not only unmotherly, but also unwomanly” (Globe and Mail, 2010). There is such a negative connotation associated with being childless or having an abortion that an atmosphere of shame and embarrassment is created. The atmosphere is furthered by pro-life dialogue by portraying abortion as unnatural and unfeminine. These ideas succeed in creating an anti-abortion climate because ‘good’ women and ‘good’ mothers would never undertake something that is seen as unnatural and unfeminine. …show more content…

When women are homogenized the complex realities of their lives are silenced. This is problematic, again, because pro-life dialogue is ignoring a whole other facet of abortion. Instead they focus only on taking away access from women, instead of looking beyond the surface to really understand the real issues surrounding abortion.

Third, the pro-women facet of pro-life dialogue projects women as victims who are ‘taken advantage of’ by abortionists, their husbands/partners, and their families. This view undermines women’s capabilities as an autonomous beings to make rational, informed decisions as well as projecting them as weak and unable to stand up for themselves. It also shifts the focus of blame from women and their choice to have an abortion to the institution. These are both problematic firstly because women become

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