Spring Break
Speaker: Women deserve better than abortion
Meghan Kruger
Issue date: 3/5/09 Section: News
UConn Students for Life hosted feminist speaker Karen Shablin Wednesday night at the Student Union Theater. Shablin gave a lecture entitled Abortion: A Betrayal of Feminism, in which she discussed how abortion goes against a feminist agenda.
Shablin, who is a member of Feminists for Life (FFL), an advocacy group for women that is against abortion said "women deserve better than abortion." Describing herself as "pro-women," Shablin said she often gets asked how a feminist can be against abortion.
"I want women to have opportunities," she said. "Abortion is a reflection that society has failed women." Shablin is a college professor and a health care expert.
Having had an abortion herself, Shablin candidly spoke about the topic at hand. Her main concern was addressing the issues that cause women to choose abortion, such as lack of resources, or a pregnancy interfering with one's education or career.
"No woman should be forced to choose between her education, career or her child," Shablin said.
She asked the audience to have an "open and honest" dialogue about issues surrounding abortion and shared many of her own experiences, including how her job in the health care field shifted her views on abortion. She then entertained questions following her lecture. Many audience members took this opportunity to ask her questions, some of which created tension among Shablin and the attendees.
Shablin offered several initiatives to address the needs of young women faced with an unplanned pregnancy, such as the FFL College Outreach Program which provides education and resources to pregnant and parenting college students. Several other universities, such as Georgetown and UC Berkeley, have implemented similar programs to better accommodate students who are expecting or already have children.
Shablin urged "pro-life and pro-choice people to come together to create solutions."
"We thought [Shablin] was a great candidate to come and speak to UConn students," said Liz Morgan, a 4th-semester biological engineering major and the vice president of Students for Life.
Students, faculty and members of other groups with initiatives similar to FFL attended the talk.
Eric Alfiere, a 2nd-semester sociology major, attended to receive extra credit for one of his classes. "I really just wanted to be more educated about the topic," he said.
Shablin asked listeners to reconsider abortion as a viable option for women.
"People throw around the word 'choice' a lot when referring to abortion," she said. "One person in this equation does not have a choice, and that is the unborn child. I want people, especially women, to understand that there are other options."
Shablin, who is a member of Feminists for Life (FFL), an advocacy group for women that is against abortion said "women deserve better than abortion." Describing herself as "pro-women," Shablin said she often gets asked how a feminist can be against abortion.
"I want women to have opportunities," she said. "Abortion is a reflection that society has failed women." Shablin is a college professor and a health care expert.
Having had an abortion herself, Shablin candidly spoke about the topic at hand. Her main concern was addressing the issues that cause women to choose abortion, such as lack of resources, or a pregnancy interfering with one's education or career.
"No woman should be forced to choose between her education, career or her child," Shablin said.
She asked the audience to have an "open and honest" dialogue about issues surrounding abortion and shared many of her own experiences, including how her job in the health care field shifted her views on abortion. She then entertained questions following her lecture. Many audience members took this opportunity to ask her questions, some of which created tension among Shablin and the attendees.
Shablin offered several initiatives to address the needs of young women faced with an unplanned pregnancy, such as the FFL College Outreach Program which provides education and resources to pregnant and parenting college students. Several other universities, such as Georgetown and UC Berkeley, have implemented similar programs to better accommodate students who are expecting or already have children.
Shablin urged "pro-life and pro-choice people to come together to create solutions."
"We thought [Shablin] was a great candidate to come and speak to UConn students," said Liz Morgan, a 4th-semester biological engineering major and the vice president of Students for Life.
Students, faculty and members of other groups with initiatives similar to FFL attended the talk.
Eric Alfiere, a 2nd-semester sociology major, attended to receive extra credit for one of his classes. "I really just wanted to be more educated about the topic," he said.
Shablin asked listeners to reconsider abortion as a viable option for women.
"People throw around the word 'choice' a lot when referring to abortion," she said. "One person in this equation does not have a choice, and that is the unborn child. I want people, especially women, to understand that there are other options."
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