Our Regard of Women Impacts How We Lead
by Robert Hackman
Photograph by Taylor Smith on Unsplash
Who’s got the power
Who’s got the power over my body
From the song ‘Who’s Got the Power’
By Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Like many, I have been thinking a lot about women in America, particularly those of childbearing age. Perhaps I am naïve, but I wonder when some people began devaluing women so much.
I want other men to consider women from a woman’s perspective. I have found asking them thoughtful questions and actively listening to their answers helps. It is amazing how frequently men can forget to do this.
You will undoubtedly hear widely divergent views about what being a woman is like in our society, their experiences, their bodies, and how they navigate the challenges they face in a world led predominantly by men.
It seems obvious yet bears repeating. The perceptions and judgments we hold of women dramatically influence how we consider them, make decisions, and lead.
It is not my intent to offend anyone with this article. However, I recognize I may upset everyone due to people’s strong feelings and convictions regarding these issues despite my aim of writing respectfully, thoughtfully, and openly.
Nonetheless, we must examine our beliefs about critical issues and reflect on our impact on others.
The supreme court’s decision to overturn Roe Vs. Wade and state laws outlawing abortion impact us all, women most significantly, and women of color the utmost.
Women bear the brunt of moral labels that men do not. While our culture encourages men to define their masculinity through sexual prowess, women who engage in sex are easy. Women, not men, are told to save themselves until marriage.
Nothing engenders more moral outrage in our country than abortion. Women who have abortions and those who aid them are viewed by many as immoral.
Is that the only relevant standard of conduct? Can it be moral for a woman to terminate a pregnancy for a child for which she cannot provide care because of untenable home situations resulting from abuse, absent partner, lack of support, or adverse impact on her health?
Are we willing to attribute any virtue to women who navigate their decision-making process by considering many factors and arriving at decisions with which we disagree?
Can we resist the urge to condemn women who have sex that results in unintended pregnancies while leaving men off the hook?
In this era of polarization, it can be difficult to fathom that not that many years ago, controlling reproduction was not considered a significant moral issue for people in America who were not devout Catholics. Reproductive rights were not particularly divisive.
Some important historical context, I believe to be relevant.
In 1964 Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower were honorary co-chairs of Planned Parenthood. Concerns about overpopulating the planet were significant; Richard Nixon concurred. John F. Kennedy had to allay voters’ fears that, as a Catholic, he would impose the views of the Catholic church on the nation if elected.
I do not believe we can consider abortion and women’s reproductive rights without reviewing religious doctrine and how it influences how women are viewed, especially when they behave outside of traditional roles.
Margaret Sanger, who championed the legalization of contraception in the United States, is vilified by members of the pro-life movement, despite being against abortion for the majority of her life.
She believed contraception was the best approach to eliminating unwanted pregnancies. Her mother conceived eighteen times before dying at age 49.
Sanger was raised as one of eleven children born alive and realized families would never be able to lift themselves out of poverty without the ability to control reproduction. Thus began the fight over control of women and their reproductive rights.
During the sixties and seventies, evangelicals favored abortion and supported birth control to prevent unintended pregnancies.
Separating themselves from Catholics, evangelical theological professors, such as Bruce Wakte and others, cited Exodus 21:22-24 to assert that ‘God does not regard the fetus as a soul, no matter how far gestation has progressed.’ During that period, they believed life began at birth.
Consequently, the Southern Baptist Convention of 1971 affirmed that preserving fetal life may have to be abandoned to nurture full and secure family life. Cases of rape, incest, clear evidence of fetal deformity, and carefully ascertained evidence of the likelihood of damage to the mother’s emotional, mental, and physical health were valid reasons for the procedure.
The beliefs of Evangelicals have changed dramatically over the last 42 years. They now align with Catholics declaring life begins at conception.
Women have remained women. Yet now women who have abortions, and those who aid them, are labeled by some as murderers.
I struggle mightily to wrap my head around the laws offering no exceptions for rape or incest. It feels like inflicting trauma on top of trauma.
Recent state legislation values preserving prenatal life over the lived life and health of the mother. To comply with the new laws, physicians now delay care when women encounter complications, jeopardizing their lives and putting their health at risk.
What provoked the changing stance on abortion for conservative, non-Catholic Christians? The answer is political and cultural. Initially, it had nothing to do with abortion or reproductive rights.
Evangelical leaders became outraged that the federal government rescinded the tax-exempt status of racially segregated Christian Schools. Protecting these schools was not an appealing enough issue to galvanize supporters by itself. Only when Jerry Falwell added anti-abortion and anti-gay stances in 1979 did it gain the fervor and commitment sought by evangelical leaders.
Feminism and the passing of the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment were deemed threats. Women’s control over their reproduction provided women with too much freedom. Evangelicals became concerned that the changing roles of women would challenge the patriarchy and their desired social order.
Influential fundamentalist evangelical leaders Dr. Albert Mohler and Dr. James Dobson derided feminism as destructive to society.
More recently, Evangelical Feminism has evolved within the church. Men and women are considered equal, although with very distinct roles. In 1998 the Southern Baptist Convention declared that men are to provide for, protect, and lead their families. Women are responsible for respecting their husbands, serving as helpers in managing the household, and nurturing the next generation.
2019 research by Political Research Quarterly revealed two thirds of evangelicals found feminism to be antagonistic toward Christian values.
The primary criterion seems to be the degree to which women subscribe to the venerated life of motherhood and traditional family life.
From my perspective, if the goal were preserving life, those opposing abortion would commit equally to lowering infant mortality in the U.S., which is the highest in the developed world. They would champion sex education and contraception as the best action to eliminate unwanted pregnancies.
Too often, sex education is believed to promote promiscuity, which for some is any sex outside of marriage, rather than a means of ensuring responsible behavior.
Abstinence is an effective option, yet it has never proven to be adopted widely enough to be viable on its own.
I married a catholic and have a great deal of respect for the church’s emphasis on service and assisting those in need.
However, I have never been able to reconcile the combined Catholic doctrines on birth control and abortion. How can parents consistently provide for large families, and how can the planet contend with supporting seven and a half billion people and counting?
I wonder if one can remain a devout Catholic if they use birth control or engage in sex for more than procreation as the church prescribes? The vast majority of Catholics I know do not have large families.
Many people find it easier to think in absolute terms. However, technology, beliefs, and culture keep changing. The details get messy.
Is it justifiable to impose your religious beliefs on those who do not share them? What are the appropriate boundaries of church and state for a country whose founders fled religious persecution? What is your commitment to upholding the convictions of those religious and non-religious people who differ from yours?
I contend our answers to these questions inform how we regard women, affect our decisions, and the ways we lead in ways that often lie outside our level of awareness.
Worthy Considerations:
- Do you believe women and those who support their abortions are immoral? If so, how do you regard the men with whom they get pregnant?
- What prevents you from supporting sex education and birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancies and reduce the demand for abortion?
- Are reproductive decisions best made by the state, doctors, or women?
- Do you consider women to be equal in the workplace? If so, what do you think keeps them from being promoted to top roles in organizations and government?
- Are you willing to commit to helping lower infant mortality rates in the U.S. as a way to preserve life? What resources will you devote to support children once they are born?
- How will the world contend with the threat of overpopulation if we are unwilling to control the number of births?
- How do women’s health, life, and rights compare to an embryo or fetus?
Please contact me if you want assistance developing your personal power on behalf of the greater good for yourself, your family, your team, and your organization. I welcome the conversation.
Robert Hackman, Principal, 4C Consulting and Coaching, helps people live and lead with fewer regrets. He grows and develops leaders through executive coaching consulting, facilitation, and training individuals, teams, and organizations. He is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He facilitates trusting environments that promote uncommonly candid conversations. Rob is also passionate about the power of developing Legacy Mindsets and has conducted over 50 Legacy interviews with people to date.
A serious man with a dry sense of humor who loves absurdity can often be found hiking rocky elevations or making music playlists. His mixes, including Pandemic Playlists and Music About Men, can be found on Spotify.