Georgetown University students and faculty joined protestors from around the country for the March For Life, which advocates for ending abortion in the United States, on Jan. 19 at the National Mall. 

Despite D.C.’s snowy conditions, thousands of people attended the annual march, the second since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade — a decision that resulted in an end to federal protection of abortion and the banning of abortions at all stages of pregnancy by 14 states.

The day began with a noon rally — under the theme “With Every Woman, For Every Child” — on the National Mall, at which several anti-abortion activists spoke before marching up Constitution Avenue to the Capitol and eventually the Supreme Court.

Bridgitte Isom (SOH ’24), a member of Georgetown Right to Life (RTL) who attended the march, said the march’s theme emphasized the importance of getting resources and support to pregnant women in all circumstances. 

“The whole theme for this year’s March, ‘With every woman, for every child,’ kept our focus on providing support for both children and mothers,” Isom wrote to The Hoya. 

Julian Jimenez (CAS ’24), the vice president of RTL, said the march focused more on changing legislation on the local level. According to Jimenez, federal officials have had less power over abortion after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“There’s more and more focus from speakers on how you can help women in your locality, how you can help local pregnancy centers and how you can push for local state change in laws, as opposed to federal pushes, which was a previous goal with Roe v. Wade,” Jimenez said. 

Abortion access is a hot-button issue ahead of the upcoming 2024 elections, with President Joe Biden announcing Jan. 22 a rollout of adjustments to the Affordable Care Act and awareness campaigns to protect abortion. 

At Georgetown, H*yas for Choice (HFC), a student organization that advocates for reproductive care and justice, aims to provide support to pregnant people as they decide whether or not to get an abortion, according to HFC co-president Karenna Warden (CAS ’25). 

“We believe that all individuals have a right to abortion if this is what they desire,” Warden wrote to The Hoya. “We engage in abortion access education and connect HFC members with training programs that allow them to escort women to abortion centers.”

“We also believe that every parent has a right to raise their child in a healthy environment,” Warden added. “Additionally, every child has a right to be raised by caretakers who can appropriately provide for them.”

Full disclosure: Karenna Warden (CAS ’25) was a staff writer for The Hoya in the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters.

At the rally, Jeanne Mancini, the president of March for Life, spoke about the importance of social programs like pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes that provide prenatal care, counseling, housing and other services. 

“Often an untold story, the backbone and heartbeat of the pro-life movement are pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes,” Mancini said at the rally. 

However, abortion-rights groups have criticized pregnancy resource centers, which are often faith-based, describing them as “fake clinics” that encourage people to come for pregnancy tests or ultrasounds, while also discouraging and at times manipulating pregnant people from accessing abortions. 

Maggie Lober (SFS ’26), who advocates on Georgetown’s campus for reproductive rights, said anti-abortion activists’ focus on these centers shifts focus away from inequities in access to abortion prevention. 

“We have seen that forcing people to give birth when they are not ready severely impacts certain communities more than others,” Lober told The Hoya. “It is a question of equity and accessibility. And that isn’t something that you can solve simply by a crisis pregnancy center. It requires more effort and more work on all levels.” 

Warden said HFC aims to work on campus to further inclusive dialogue surrounding reproductive healthcare.

“We hope to continue forwarding a rhetoric of inclusion as we enter into conversation surrounding the upcoming elections,” Warden wrote.