NCJW Endorses Massive March for Reproductive Choice

June 12, 2003, Washington, DC – The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is enthusiastically supporting the national March for Freedom of Choice to be held in Washington, DC on April 25, 2004. At the June 10 press conference announcing the March, NCJW was identified as one of the early co-sponsors of the event. NCJW president Marsha Atkind issued the following statement:

“Reproductive freedom is facing unprecedented attacks in Congress, the courts, and the White House. Nominees for the federal judiciary are selected in hopes they will overturn Roe v. Wade. Restrictions on US funding for international family planning have made women’s health worldwide an ideological football for anti-abortion forces. Members of Congress and the administration are intent on restricting access to abortion by obstructing abortion methods and barring existing techniques on spurious grounds. Even valuable medical research has been threatened.

“It is time for a massive show of support for a woman’s right to choose and for a repudiation of the government’s adversarial policy against abortion rights. By endorsing this historic march at its inception, we are pledging our strong support and calling on members of NCJW and friends of women’s rights everywhere to mobilize for an unprecedented show of strength for reproductive freedom. For us, this effort is a natural outgrowth of BenchMark: NCJW’s Campaign to Save Roe, which has already activated thousands in the fight to save our judicial branch from becoming hostage to an extreme right wing anti-choice agenda.”

The pro-choice march is a joint effort of the Feminist Majority, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Organization for Women and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. It marks the first time that the four major pro-choice organizations have collaborated to launch a major demonstration. NCJW is proud to be among the first organizations to co-sponsor the mobilization. More information about the march can be found at benchmarkcampaign.org.

NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms through research, education, advocacy, and community service programs initiated by its network of 90,000 volunteers, supporters and members nationwide. It has launched BenchMark: NCJW's Campaign to Save Roe, a national effort to educate and mobilize NCJW members, the Jewish community, and friends and allies everywhere to promote a federal bench with judges that support fundamental freedoms, including a woman's right to choose.

Note: For additional information regarding this event, please click here.