Alabama Abortion Ban Targets Single Mothers [OPINION]

It has only been a few days since Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed the most restrictive anti-abortion bill in the nation. While she touted Alabamians’ belief that every life is precious, Ivey also declared that each unborn child is “sacred gift from God.”

I’m sorry, but I guess the understanding of separation of church and state can be taken along with this bill as we regress back into the dark ages. But I’m not here to criticize one’s moral beliefs on the issue. It’s not my business as a male to determine what a woman does with her body. Unfortunately, this is where the main arguments are focusing. Six months from now if the bill were to be passed, there will be bigger problem in the state of Alabama (assuming that unwanted birth rates rise). I’m talking about the economic impact it will have on single mothers.

If you are a woman living in Alabama, you have the cards stacked against you on various sides. Let’s start with the bill itself. A woman caught attempting to have an abortion could face up to 99 years in prison, as well as the care provider facing penalties. Aside from making abortion illegal at the initial stage of pregnancy, the bill also doesn’t give exceptions to victims of rape or incest. Only under the circumstances of a mother’s health at severe risk do they forgo punishment. But at what cost can a woman justify taking this chance? Would a rape victim fight up to her last breath just to make an abortion legal?

This bill indirectly promotes the abusive behavior of rape and incest. As of December 2017, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) states that a perpetrator convicted of first-degree rape in Alabama would receive the same range of prison sentencing as the victim who seeks an abortion, with the addition of the former incurring a judicially-determined fine.

So now, a woman devastated by this crime must carry the child to term, and this is where the financial side comes into play. As of 2017, the Census Bureau reports that of the 18% poverty status in the state of Alabama, the top three largest demographics living in poverty are female. The top ranges between 25-34 years, followed by 18-24, and 35-44. Not to mention, that 18% is over five points higher than the national average (2017). Oh, but the numbers continue! The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in its 2017 report ranked Alabama as having the 9th highest teen birth rate in the country, as well as the 6th highest percentage of births to unmarried mothers. Granted, there isn’t a distinction regarding those in a relationship and unwanted pregnancies. Seems that the odds are in their favor. Let’s take it a step further in terms of single-parent homes. However, it needs to be clarified that a single parent home doesn’t distinguish between mother or father. But in the 2017 County Health Rankings, an average of 38% of children live in single-parent homes. That is more than one in three households.

If the parent is a male, the household is likely to stay afloat due to a higher average wage. The Census Bureau’s 2017 report listed the average male full-time salary at just above $59,000. But for a mother, all of the cards are against her. Not only do women on average earn less wages, but usually have additional expenses compared to their male counterparts. Men complain about the prices of condoms and yet those could sit in their dresser for long time while women have to pay for birth control or constantly be stocked with tampons and pads. But back to the wages.

Thanks to the work of Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier at MIT, we can calculate the average living wage, poverty wage, and minimum wage of each state. The Living Wage Calculator in Alabama for a family of one adult and one child (4 years old) at $22.06/hr. The average male with child has little to worry about since they make roughly $4 more than that. The calculator also features a chart listing typical expenses at different family dynamics, including annual payments for food, transportation, and housing. With all of the expenses added up, a single-mother home with one child needs to earn roughly $45,875 before taxes to fall into the living wage area. However, looking back at the Census Bureau’s 2017 report, the average income for women in Alabama is $41,415.

So you tell me, where will the extra $5k come from to make up that difference? Considering that the most common occupation for women is a registered nurse, if the abortion bill passes in six months, there will be a chunk of them out of work with clinics being shut down. It just goes to show how much Gov. Ivey cares about the fellow women in her state. How precious will a child’s life be when it is born into a life of poverty?

The icing on the feces-covered cake that is this abortion bill is the fact that one of the main pushes for this legislation is so that it can work its way up to the Supreme Court in hopes of overturning Roe v. Wade. Good thing Brett Kavanaugh has a chair in the Conservative-controlled judicial branch!