Abby Johnson on Why Experienced Voices From Inside the Abortion Industry Should Help Shape the Future of Advocacy

After more than 16 years as a leading voice in the pro-life movement, Abby Johnson believes one of its greatest challenges no longer comes from outside opposition. Instead, she argues that the movement has become increasingly reluctant to draw on the experience of women who understand the abortion industry from the inside. From her perspective, lasting progress depends on placing firsthand operational knowledge alongside advocacy, policy, and public engagement rather than limiting former abortion workers to sharing personal stories.

That conviction has become central to the work she continues through And Then There Were None (&TTWN), a nonprofit that helps abortion industry employees leave their jobs by providing financial, emotional, legal, and career support while helping them transition into new professions.

Johnson’s perspective is shaped by an unusual career path. After working for eight years for a non-profit, including serving as a clinic director, she left the organization in 2009 following an experience she says fundamentally changed her understanding of her work. Her memoir, Unplanned, later became the 2019 feature film of the same name, bringing her story to a wider audience. In 2012, she founded &TTWN after hearing from other abortion industry employees seeking guidance on leaving their positions. According to Johnson, plenty of workers have since transitioned out of the industry with its assistance.

Yet Johnson explains that her current concern extends beyond her own experience. She believes many former abortion workers possess practical leadership, operational, and policy insights that remain underutilized. “People know our stories, but they don’t invite us into the rooms where strategy is being shaped,” she says. “If you’ve worked inside an organization, you understand how decisions are made, how systems operate, and where change is most likely to happen. That experience should be part of the conversation.”

According to Johnson, former abortion workers have, at times, raised concerns about how certain policy discussions were unfolding based on what they observed during their time in the industry. She believes those perspectives, shaped by firsthand operational experience, could contribute to stronger long-term planning when included in broader strategic conversations.

Johnson also believes former abortion workers are sometimes recognized primarily for their personal stories rather than the leadership experience they developed during their careers. She managed clinics, supervised teams, and oversaw complex operations before leaving the industry. “People often remember where we worked instead of what we learned,” Johnson says. “Experience should be measured by the responsibility someone carried and the perspective they bring, not simply by the chapter of life they left behind.”

Johnson believes that expanding the role of experienced women within the movement requires more than inviting them to speak publicly. From her perspective, they should also contribute to legislative discussions, policy development, organizational leadership, and long-term planning. She explains that women who have worked inside the abortion industry bring firsthand knowledge of patient experiences, organizational operations, and the practical realities surrounding abortion decisions. “Women understand the realities of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood in ways that should inform policy,” Johnson says. “Their voices belong wherever decisions are being made because they understand both the challenges women face and the support families need.”

Johnson believes education and practical support should remain part of broader conversations surrounding abortion policy. She says expanding access to resources for women and families, alongside public education, can help inform decision-making. Research highlights the role that health literacy and access to accurate information play in helping people make informed health decisions. From Johnson’s perspective, those efforts should complement ongoing policy discussions.

Her willingness to continue raising these issues comes despite acknowledging that doing so has sometimes left her feeling sidelined within the movement she has spent more than a decade serving. Johnson explains that stepping away has never felt like the right choice because she believes the mission remains unfinished. Instead, she continues advocating for what she explains as more open dialogue, stronger strategic leadership, and greater willingness to learn from those with direct industry experience.

Reflecting on her legacy, Johnson says the work of And Then There Were None matters most because it has helped former abortion workers transition into new careers and rebuild their lives. She believes those experiences demonstrate the value of listening to people whose perspectives are shaped by firsthand experience.

“Real progress begins when people are willing to hear difficult truths and allow experience to shape better decisions,” she says. “If we want lasting change, we have to build strategies that value the people who have lived the realities we are trying to address.”