Chaunie Saelens Brusie of Feminists for Life to speak April 15 here

Chaunie Saelens Brusie of Feminists for Life to speak April 15 here

Chaunie Saelens Brusie, college outreach coordinator for Feminists for Life America, will speak at St. Thomas Wednesday, April 15.

Brusie will talk about the challenges she faced as a pregnant college student. The event, free and open to everyone, will begin at 7 p.m. in the auditorium, Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.

Chaunie Saelens Brusie

What would it be like to be a pregnant or parenting student on the St. Thomas campus? That is the question that Feminists for Life asks. As the founder and leader of her student-activist group, Brusie worked to create support on campus for pregnant and parenting students like herself. Feminists for Life, established in 1972, seeks solutions to the challenges that pregnant women, especially students, face.

The organization believes that women should not have to choose between getting an education and having a child, and that often abortion is the result of society failing to meet the needs of women. FFL points out that many women do not feel that they have a choice to keep their children when faced with what they believe are unjust policies and economic burdens.

The organization bases its programs on the feminist principles of justice, nondiscrimination and nonviolence. In recent years, FFL has focused on lobbying at the state and national level for programs that support pregnant and parenting women. In addition, it conducts a college outreach program, helping students work for better university policies to support pregnant and parenting students.

This event is co-sponsored by the Luann Dummer Center for Women and the Center for Catholic Studies.