Every Mother’s Day, our firm does something special for the women in our client family. One year we sent candy. Last year we donated to the Alzheimer’s Association . This year we donated to another nonprofit: Planned Parenthood . Our email was delivered a few days before Mother’s Day, and we were happy to receive many thankful notes in response.
What I didn’t anticipate—and what drove some serious self-examination on my part—were the negative responses.
There were only a few, but the vehement objections from women whom I respect and whose relationships I value made me wonder how an organization that does so much good in the world has the power to elicit such a response. I think what happened says a lot about the world we live in today and the long-term view of women’s health and wealth.
If you know me at all, you know I’ve been fighting my whole life to help women thrive in the face of oppression. I began working in the corporate world at a time when women had to fight for the right to smoke at our desks (not a good choice in retrospect, but having the same rights as our male colleagues was the point!), wear pants to work, and not be confined to a role as a “Gal Friday.” An issue that goes hand-in-hand with the fight for those rights is the fight for our reproductive rights .
Whether you agree with abortion or not, it’s a basic fact that, throughout history, women have had—and will continue to have—abortions. The reasons are as varied as the women themselves, which is why I believe not one of us has the right to judge or restrict that choice. And while I honor the views of others who feel differently on religious or other grounds, I also believe that regardless of those beliefs, all women should have access to safe healthcare, including ending an unwanted or unsafe pregnancy. I am old enough to have seen the repercussions of illegal back-alley abortions first hand, from the aftermath of poor (or no) follow-up care, to infertility, to death. I believe that the separation of church and state should protect the right to healthcare services that prevent these tragedies.
All of that said, my intent when choosing Planned Parenthood as our Mother’s Day charity this year wasn’t rooted in a desire to make a political statement. On the contrary, my goal was to contribute to an organization whose dedication to safe, accessible health services for women is unmatched. It's undeniable that Planned Parenthood has become a lightning rod for activists on both sides of the abortion issue. I believe that’s unfortunate, in that it misdirects people’s passions. After all, regardless of your stance on abortion, who can argue against the fact that safe, accessible reproductive health care is something every woman should have? The current political environment has managed to polarize our thinking to the point that we can’t even agree on the things we agree on. The issue of abortion rights has landed smack at the intersection of religion and politics, and while Planned Parenthood may invite its reputation as a hotbed of activism, I wonder how they could take any other stance and still promote the rights of women. It’s an issue that I hope all of us can somehow get past in the future.
We women still have a long way to go when it comes to equality as citizens of our society. Access to healthcare is just one piece of the challenge, and it coincides with the financial obstacles that continue to plague us. I worked my entire corporate career earning 60 to 70 cents on the dollar compared to men who did the same job, and today’s statistics aren’t much better. Women continue to pay the price of the “non-job” of child rearing with delayed retirement, lower Social Security checks, and lower personal wealth than men. As a financial advisor, I see these challenges play out every day. Women my age have paid a big price to get where we are today, but I have done this gladly. I believe that by fighting for women’s rights, I am helping to knock down at least part of that wall for future generations of women. I hope that my efforts will foster a greater sense of safety for tomorrow’s women in every area of their lives—including their health and their wealth.
I am sorry that our donation to Planned Parenthood offended even one client, yet after re-examining the matter with more careful research, I continue to support this organization. On this issue, I’d like to cross the political aisle and continue to stand up with Planned Parenthood as I fight the good fight for women’s health and wealth. I hope you choose to join me.