Jan. 20 will mark the 50th March for Life in Washington, D.C., and the first in a post-Roe America — a tremendous victory and source of encouragement for pro-life Americans. Yet we are keenly aware of the pressing need to engage on new fronts and unite our movement for the work that lies ahead.

Our annual gathering, which has for five decades brought together millions of pro-life Americans despite rain and blizzards, government shutdowns, and even a pandemic, always lays out a vision for the battles of the coming year. This year, however, we are mapping out the path to what could be the next half-century of building a culture of life in our nation. That’s why the 2023 national March for Life theme is "Next Steps: Marching into a Post-Roe America."

THE FIVE STATES THAT WILL HAVE ABORTION MEASURES ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER

Thanks to the tireless dedication of the March for Life’s founder, Nellie Gray, and the beautiful, heroic witness of pro-life Americans for 50 years, thousands of innocent lives in America have been saved from abortion and we have seen the end of Roe v. Wade. But looking beyond these accomplishments, there is still much work left to be done both at the state and federal level, where the battle over abortion legislation has only intensified in the last several months.

Our loftiest and ultimate goal is to transform the culture by changing hearts and minds on the issue of abortion, making it unthinkable. This we know will take time and continued advocacy. This year’s theme lays out a three-pronged approach to accomplishing this.

First, we need to advocate vigorously for the unborn at the federal level, including through continued annual marches in Washington, D.C. While the overturn of Roe opened the door for states to enact laws protecting the unborn, there have already been new federal challenges. Since Dobbs was decided, there have been legislative efforts to codify a "right to abortion" through all nine months of pregnancy into federal law, something that would nullify many of our hard-won state protections for women and unborn children. From the pro-abortion Left, efforts to abolish the long-standing and lifesaving Hyde Amendment also continue, and more.

In order to mark not only our victory in Dobbs but also our need to maintain a presence in Washington, this year's March for Life will conclude differently than in years past. Rather than marching to the steps of the Supreme Court, where we have for decades asked our highest court's justices to undo the destructive decision that was Roe v. Wade, we will now march to a new front in our battle, the steps of the Capitol. We will make our voices heard by pro-life and pro-abortion legislators alike, making them understand that we will not cease advocating for women and children until every life is protected.

Second, we must expand our efforts to our respective states, where legislators have a strong new role to play in passing life-affirming policies. That is why March for Life is expanding its state march program. Last month, over 5,500 pro-life Pennsylvanians took a stand for life in Harrisburg, the first official post-Roe state march. We will be marching in 10 states in 2023, and our goal is to be in all 50 states within five to seven years so that people across the country can make their voices heard on the state level like never before.

Third, we must increase our support for pregnant women in need. Intimidation and misinformation campaigns, as well as outright violence , continue to threaten the crucial work of the more than 3,000 pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes standing on the front lines of our communities. These organizations provide short- and long-term aid to expectant mothers, offering millions of dollars in free resources and services each year. They have saved hundreds of thousands of lives — over 800,000 since 2016 alone. Every pro-life American can play a role in supporting these organizations and in building a culture of life by offering food, clothing, financial assistance, volunteer work, and so much more.

In these three ways, we can continue to build up a culture of life and be a bright light to our world. Yes, there is still so much work to be done, but we are encouraged by the fruits of our labors so far, and we are emboldened by the incredible dedication and passion of our marchers to take these next steps in carrying out our joyful mission.

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Jeanne Mancini is the president of March for Life.