A Reflection on the Pro-Life Women’s Conference
My first Pro-Life Women’s Conference was the inaugural weekend in 2016 in Dallas. I hadn’t had the opportunity to return, until this year with the Sidewalk Advocates for Life family. And my, how it has grown!
My first impression on returning was the beauty of the conference – from the welcoming banners of the sponsoring organizations to the smiles of those greeting old friends and making new ones. With hundreds of women (and a few committed men) in attendance, an energizing emcee (our very own, Lauren Muzyka!), numerous compelling speakers, and a room filled with pro-life ministries, the impact of the weekend was palpable.
Among the pro-life events I have attended in the last decade, there is something truly unique about the Pro-Life Women’s Conference. This difference is no doubt born from the inspiring journey of its founder, Abby Johnson, from being a Planned Parenthood Director to creating a ministry that assists abortion workers to leave that very same industry.
The presentations, as expected, provide practical tips and strategies for pro-life ministry and outreach. But that benefit is almost secondary to the real focus of the weekend — shining a light on the wounds women carry so that we might find hope and healing amidst a growing fellowship of mothers, daughters, and sisters.
If you haven’t had an opportunity to attend this conference, you might be asking yourself: How does that journey intersect the pro-life movement?
I believe the answer can be found in the wounds that can go unhealed without the light of love and hope: maybe it’s abuse as a child, sexism, sexual harassment or exploitation, racism, rejection or violence by a partner, or even the abortion experience itself. These can be building blocks of the culture of death that far too often preys on women, convincing us that objectification and subjugation, and ultimately, the sacrifice of our children, are a necessary cost for equality.
But the Pro-Life Women’s Conference resoundingly rejects this false equation, and instead reminds us that Christ can transform any challenge into victory. This remarkable event celebrates the beauty of womanhood, instills confidence in our testimony and God-given gifts, and inspires unity with our pro-life sisters and brothers. Together, we can find hope in the Lord, the strength to lead, and the courage to transform our culture through the power of love.
By Becky Visosky, Sidewalk Advocates for Life
