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Faith in Women

Website:

www.faithinwomen.org/
Type:

Abortion Advocacy Organization
Formation:

2015
Executive Director:

Rev. Elizabeth Davidson

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Faith in Women is a Mississippi-based abortion-advocacy organization for religiously affiliated people. The organization was founded by members of the United Methodist Church to promote access to legal abortion. 1

Activities

Faith in Women is a coalition of clergy and laypeople devoted to social justice and abortion rights. 2 The organization convenes religious people in Mississippi to provide access to pro-abortion resources and to advocate for abortion access. Though founded by leaders within the United Methodist Church, Faith in Women works with members of different faith traditions. 3

Faith in Women is guided by the belief that God’s call to love your neighbor as yourself demands the legalization of abortion and support for women who want to terminate their pregnancies. 4

Resources provided by Faith in Women include information about comprehensive sexuality education to oppose abstinence-only curricula, to promote use of contraceptives, and to educate young people about sexual orientation and sexual identity; 5 recommendations for literature and other media that promotes transgenderism and abortion; 6 and materials supporting the Equal Rights Amendment, including support for the state of Mississippi to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. 7

People

The executive director of Faith in Women is Elizabeth Davidson, a pastor of the United Methodist Church.  Davidson was commissioned a deacon in the United Methodist Church in 2015 and has claimed that her faith demands support for abortion. 8

The founding executive director of Faith in Women is Ashley Peterson. Like Davidson, Peterson is a member of the United Methodist Church. 9 Peterson formerly worked as a dietitian and nutritionist before becoming executive director for Faith in Women. Today, Peterson is the founder and executive director of Ecumenical Coalition for Women and Families. 10

Partner Organizations

Faith in Women has a variety of partner organizations located in the southeastern United States ad nationally. 11

The organization’s partners include Planned Parenthood Southeast, a regional affiliate of Planned Parenthood Federation, an abortion provider in the U.S. and abroad; Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, a left-of-center interfaith nonprofit that advocates for expanded abortion access as well as a host of center-left policies, including LGBTQ issues, illegal immigration, environmentalism, and “economic justice;” Center for American Progress, a liberal Washington, D.C.-based think tank with strong ties to the Democratic Party establishment; Spitfire Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based political consulting firm established by a Democratic operative and campaign strategist; SisterSong, an advocate for legal and state-supported abortion; Advocates for Youth, a left-of-center advocacy group that focuses on topics such as youth sexual health, youth reproductive health, sexual violence, and LGBT issues; and Texas Freedom Network, a left-of-center lobbying organization that opposes religious conservatives on issues such as sex education, legal abortion, and Bible study in public school.  12

Additionally, faith in women receives funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, which supports environmental causes and population control programs; 13 Anna Lalor Burdick Foundation, an organization that funds initiatives supporting contraception and abortion; 14 Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, one of the nation’s largest philanthropic organizations; and more. 15

References

  1. “What We Do.” Faith in Women. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/what-we-do/.
  2. “Our Team.” Faith in Women. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/our-team/.
  3. “What We Do.” Faith in Women. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/what-we-do/.
  4. “Called to Resist: Honoring the Legacy of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion.” Faith in Women. October 15, 2018. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/called-to-resist-honoring-the-legacy-of-the-clergy-consultation-service-on-abortion/.
  5. “January Resource Review: Comprehensive Sexuality Education.” Faith in Women. January 23, 2017. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/january-resource-review-comprehensive-sexuality-education/.
  6. “Reproductive Justice and Dignity in Pop Culture.” Faith in Women. July 24, 202. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/reproductive-justice-and-dignity-in-pop-culture/.
  7. “Advocacy Spotlight: The Equal Rights Amendment.” Faith in women. September 24, 2019. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/advocacy-spotlight-the-equal-rights-amendment/.
  8. “Our Team.” Faith in Women. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/our-team/.
  9. “Our Team.” Faith in Women. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/our-team/.
  10. “Ashley Peterson.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-peterson-01011a6/.
  11. “Our Team.” Faith in Women. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/our-team/.
  12. “Our Team.” Faith in Women. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/our-team/.
  13. “Our Team.” Faith in Women. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/our-team/.
  14. “Anna Lalor Burdick Program.” The Lalor Foundation. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://lalorfound.org/anna-lalor-burdick-program/.
  15.  “Our Team.” Faith in Women. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.faithinwomen.org/our-team/.
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