In response to the post-2012 assessment by the Republican National Committee, some prominent conservatives accused Republican leaders in Washington of timidity. While liberals punch on social issues, “the Republican and conservative elites retreat and change the subject,” said a report issued by the group American Principles in Action. “Our self-mute strategy permits the Democrats to frame the issue on their own terms.”

Some Republicans say that making abortion a larger part of the party’s message this year will increase the turnout of their base, which could be decisive in the three Southern states — Arkansas, Louisiana and North Carolina — that are crucial to Democrats’ hopes of holding on to their majority in the Senate. And they are beginning to experiment with making their message on later-term abortions appeal beyond just the base.

The Republican Party and its chairman, Reince Priebus, have been working to reassure social conservatives. In addition to giving groups like the Susan B. Anthony List a seat at the table during the spring meeting, Mr. Priebus delayed the Republican National Committee’s January meeting in Washington so it could coincide with the annual March for Life. Mr. Priebus attended the march, and even arranged for buses to transport the marchers.

The national committee has hired some of the same pollsters who are advising anti-abortion groups as they look for lines of attack to put Democrats on the defensive. At the same time, Republicans in the Senate have introduced a measure that would ban abortion after 20 weeks, a priority of the movement. It has the backing of Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, who endorsed the measure as he stood with anti-abortion leaders in the Capitol in May. Democrats have blocked it from coming to a vote.

There is little question that Republicans need to improve their numbers among female voters. Mitt Romney lost the female vote to President Obama by 11 percentage points in 2012. An ABC News/Washington Post poll in April found Democrats with a 30-point advantage when respondents were asked which party they trusted to handle issues that are especially important to women.

Republicans acknowledge that their communication on women’s issues has been inadequate, especially considering that Democrats have skillfully co-opted words like “choice,” “freedom” and “health.”

“That was one of the top five public relations coups of all time: making their movement pro-choice and purging the ugly word ‘abortion’ from the lexicon for decades,” said Kellyanne Conway, a Republican pollster who has conducted research on women’s issues for anti-abortion groups and the Republican National Committee. In the boot camps, Ms. Conway is the one warning candidates to treat “rape” like a four-letter word.