What you can do now: write an op-ed or guest opinion essay
Because of entrenched positions on abortion, building support in Congress or state legislatures requires changing the composition of those bodies. There are steps you can take to help voters (and potential voters) in your area to understand the importance of electing public officials who will protect abortion access.
One option available to you is to submit an op-ed (short for “opposite the editorial page” where they have traditionally been printed but now called a “guest opinion essay” by many news outlets) to your local paper. Op-eds are longer than letters to the editor and receive a higher profile. Newspapers are selective about publishing an op-ed. If one paper turns down your submission, then try submitting it to another paper. Check the newspaper’s word limit for op-eds before submitting it; 750 words is common.
You can use the op-ed to describe the impact on women’s health of limiting or banning access to abortion. You can call out the positions of candidates for public office or publicly ask candidates to take a position. Newspapers also present an opportunity to make a request of an elected official in front of the public. Elected officials are known to read the opinion sections of the newspapers published in their districts. Reporters and opinion makers also read them. Your op-ed might spur more writing on the subject.
How to write an op-ed
An op-ed is an essay that expresses your opinion and that you intend to persuade others. Like any essay, it should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. This is not academic writing. Do not worry about meeting the requirements of a research paper. Use your first paragraph to state your point of view and explain why it is important. Your next paragraphs should each expand on one of your supporting reasons for your point of view. Your final paragraph should reiterate your point from your opening paragraph and summarize the case you made for it.
Examples of op-eds
“Why we are opening a new abortion clinic in Maryland”
“Too many American moms are dying, and Sen. James Lankford can make a difference” on page 22 of the AWHONN Legislative Handbook
