Concerned Women for America
Concerned Women for America (CWA) is a socially conservative,[1] evangelical Christian non-profit women's legislative action committee in the United States. Headquartered in Washington D.C.,[2] the CWA is involved in social and political movements, through which it aims to incorporate Christian ideology.[3] The group is primarily led by well-funded anti-feminist[4] interests.
Formation
The group was founded in San Diego, California in 1978[5] by Beverly LaHaye, whose husband Timothy LaHaye was an evangelical Christian minister and author of The Battle for the Mind, as well as coauthor of the Left Behind series.[6][7]
The CWA identifies itself as an amalgam of "policy experts and... activists[s]" with an anti-feminist approach to politics.[4]
Formation[edit]
Concerned Women for America is part of a movement known as the New Christian Right.[8] Organized in reaction to the establishment of its liberal counterpart, the National Organization for Women;[6][9] the growing dispute over traditional gender roles;[10][11] and the rising discussion of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), the CWA set out to "fight policies that it believe[d] [to] disrupt traditional gender roles and norms."[4] Fueling its formation, an interview between Barbara Walters and Betty Friedan, a prominent feminist activist, gained public attention in 1978 regarding women's issues.[9] In the interview, Friedan claimed to speak for American women. Beverly LaHaye did not believe that Betty Friedan was speaking for the majority of women because feminist views were, according to LaHaye, anti-God and anti-family.[12] In regards to the interview, LaHaye stated that she was convinced Friedan's goal was a "misguided attempt to dismantle the bedrock of American culture: the family,"[13] and that she believed Christian women were not included in discussions of women's rights. In this regard, the "concern" that the CWA had behind the name of the group was in response to the worries that feminism would "ruin" America.[14] Such fears and opposition to much of the Democratic Party's ideology during this era led Beverly LaHaye to host a series of conventions and rallies in San Diego, resulting in Concerned Women for America's formation.[15] As a result, the CWA became known as "the largest women's organization of the Christian Right during the 1980s and 1990s."[15]
The CWA began with local prayer chapters mobilized around issues such as the ERA and legalized abortion.[10][16] In 1987, the CWA relocated from San Diego, California to Washington, DC,[10] at which time it formally established a national office and a national presence.
Working through the media[edit]
In the late 1990s, the CWA garnered attention by way of its midday broadcasts on KFAX, a San Francisco-based Christian radio station.[8][52] These broadcasts often featured Beverly LaHaye Live, a popular talk-show segment which spoke about the CWA's mission, morals, and aspirations for society.[8][52] Today, the CWA continues to produce a daily radio show, however it is now entitled Concerned Women Today, and focuses primarily on calling members and other listeners to action by encouraging them to lobby senators.[2][52]
The CWA publishes a monthly magazine called Family Voice, which chronicles their current events as well as ways in which members can become more involved with the organization.[2]
Beverly LaHaye Institute[edit]
The Beverly LaHaye Institute (BLI), named for the CWA founder, is the research arm of the CWA.[53] BLI is considered one of the CWA's official think tanks.[14] The BLI has a variety of research style essays and briefs that cover a wide variety of topics the CWA is interested in, most of which is published or featured on the CWA website.[14]
BLI filed an amicus brief in January 2014 in Sebelius vs. Hobby Lobby. Most of the amicus briefs in the Hobby Lobby case focused on religious freedom issues. BLI's brief had a unique focus on rebutting the government's argument that the birth control mandate imposed by Affordable Care Act would improve women's health and prevent unintended pregnancies. The BLI brief rejected a clear-cut notion of "intended" and "unintended" pregnancies. BLI argued that the government's evidence, based mostly on a 2011 Institute of Medicine report, did not prove the birth control mandate would increase use rates for birth control or that unintended pregnancies harm women's health. The brief also argued against the government's claim that the mandate promotes "gender equity."[54]
