For eight months—from February through October 2016—our members called on the moderators of 15 primary and general election debates to #AskAboutAbortion and the crisis in access that hurts so many people in this country.
More than 50,000 NARAL and CREDO members, and the leaders of EMILY’s List, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, CREDO, UltraViolet, All* Above All Action Fund, National Organization for Women, and Feminist Majority joined us in calling on debate moderators to #AskAboutAbortion because we know that abortion is not a niche issue. It’s foundational to a woman’s ability to determine her own destiny.
On October 19, at the third and final presidential debate, it finally happened, with Chris Wallace posing a question about abortion in the context of the Supreme Court.
The 2016 election was about a clash of worldviews: One, that believes women deserve equal rights and opportunities, and another, that would strip women of our bodily autonomy. That’s what asking a question about abortion at a debate brought us—the chance to have that debate, to have that difference in worldviews, laid bare on a national stage. Our members understood the importance of this campaign, so despite the long, slow slog towards victory, they never gave up.
The campaign was covered in Refinery 29, Glamour, Elle and many more.