Amy Coney Barrett: A Better Kind of Feminism

Justice Amy Coney Barrett is undeniably a remarkable woman with clear devotion to lawful justice who is well-suited for her seat on the high court. Sadly, she is also perceived as a serious threat to some.  This is because Justice Barrett’s life and experience disprove the harmful but fiercely guarded narrative that women must adhere to a certain ideology in order to be successful. Justice Barrett’s accomplishments dismantle every pillar of that outdated and destructive ideology.  Consider the following examples: 

“Abortion is Needed for Women to Succeed”

Since 1973, women have been told that, in order to compete with men, abortion is necessary.  But how tragic that such women have been led into the “prison of two ideas,” believing they had no other option but to choose between the life of their unborn child and success in their careers.  

Judge Barrett fully rejected that false assertion and has been confirmed to the highest court—one of the most powerful positions in the world—with all seven of her children beside her.  Barrett epitomizes the incredible strength and determination of women, demonstrating that it is possible to achieve monumental, and undeniable, success as a wife, mother and career woman.

“Women Should Prioritize Career over Family”

Our culture relentlessly undermines family and parenthood. Women are told motherhood could hold them back and are encouraged to suppress their God-given desire to bring new life into this world. What if, rather than teaching our daughters to set aside this uniquely-female gift in order to fit into the male-driven working world, we focused instead on adapting the working world to accommodate women’s unique needs and desires, allowing them to embrace every aspect of their femininity?

Judge Barrett is the first mother of school-aged children to become a Supreme Court justice. With mothers making up over 30% of the women’s workforce, working moms need someone who uniquely understands the challenges mothers face in the workforce, including policies relating to maternity leave, childcare, and lactation accommodations in the workplace. Improvements to these policies would help move us beyond the destructive “either-or” narrative and provide options that add to, rather than take from, women’s lives. 

“Pro-Lifers Don’t Actually Care About Life Outside the Womb”

Proponents of life wholly reject the notion that they have no concern for children’s quality of life once born. A woman finding herself in tragic circumstances not conducive to raising a child has other options—such as adoption—that preserve the life of the unborn child while at the same time providing better emotional and spiritual outcomes for herself. 

Justice Barrett’s life is a beautiful example of what it means to value the sanctity of life, inside and outside the womb.  The Barrett family adopted (rescued) two children from Haiti, the poorest country of the Western Hemisphere, where children are often left without a mother or father, suffering from malnutrition in a lucrative orphanage system, and likely to be exploited by human trafficking. Judge Barrett’s family is also a picture of racial unity and equality. Her diverse family is evidence not only of her compassion for those in need, but it is a beautiful representation of our Father’s adoptive heart towards us.

“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)

 “Women‘s Choice is Needed for ‘Undesirable’ Pregnancies”

Children with fetal abnormalities are no less precious and are often the source of immeasurable joy.  An ideology that makes it acceptable to end the lives of our most vulnerable while in the womb is tragic, severely misguided, and dangerous to the direction of a nation.  

Justice Barrett has stood strong against the voices that would suggest children like her son, Benjamin, who has Down Syndrome, be terminated based on his special needs. She understands the difficulties, but rejects the idea that his life is somehow less valuable:  

“Benjamin, our youngest, is 5. He has special needs. That presents unique challenges for all of us. But I think all you need to know about Benjamin’s place in the family is summed up by the fact the other children unreservedly identify him as their favorite sibling.” 

 “Being Pro-Choice is Empowering”

Tragically, women in our culture are immersed in messages that normalize abortion and promise empowerment and freedom for those who adhere to the ideology. Sadly this message does not reflect the devastating realities of abortion. If you scroll through social media during the month of October—Infant Loss Awareness Month—you will glimpse a different story, a story of the heartbreaking grief that haunts mothers who have suffered the loss of a baby as a result of abortion or other cause.  To embrace true feminism, we must acknowledge that the lost lives are not the only victims of abortion. 

True feminist empowerment must support and enhance all of femininity, every aspect of womanhood.  Amy Coney Barrett is one of the most striking examples of true female empowerment, having achieved astounding academics, built a successful career, cultivated a strong marriage, carried and delivered five lives into this world, adopted two children, and having been confirmed to the highest court in our country.  

A Role Model We Can All Stand Behind

Amy Coney Barret should be celebrated by those on both sides of the aisle as one of the most outstanding role models for our daughters (and all women) this nation has ever seen. It is a breath of fresh air to have a woman in such a prominent position who fiercely embraces all aspects of womanhood rather than endorsing the harmful narrative that women must deny what makes them different from men in order to achieve their dreams. Regardless of political stance, Judge Amy Coney Barret is a justice we should all proudly stand behind.