Women, Not Criminals

The controversy around abortion is a biased yet familiar one. Last September, the conservative US state, Texas, took the matter to another level by passing an abortion law that bans the procedure once a heartbeat is detected. In the name of protecting lives, this law neglects the fact that many women are unaware of their pregnancy at that stage, it may have been forced upon them through rape or incest, and the fundamental truth that women have autonomy over their own bodies.

The modern politics of abortion can be traced back to Woe v. Wade (1973,) a landmark legal case that guaranteed women the right to abortion across the United States of America. The Supreme Court, despite striking polarization among the public, ruled that privacy, health, and bodily independence of women deserved protection. This was recognized as a powerful push towards contemporary feminism. Ironically, while women's political, educational, and workplace status see great progress, society is increasingly hesitant to granting women their rights in its most essential function, reproduction. While women become leaders of the world, change-makers in global policy, head researchers in science institutes, renowned academics in countless fields, their bodies are not their own. For women, young women, young, teenage, vulnerable, financially-unstable women, the threat of unexpected pregnancy is an imminent threat. If they fall under what their bodies are biologically constructed to do, in cases where they cannot provide and stable and loving household for their child, how should society measure what is moral and what is not? When we label ourselves as feminists, as advocates for a future of gender equality, how can we turn a blind eye when dominantly-male politicians vote on women's rights over their bodies? True autonomy, true protection, is determined by the way society treats our bodies in its most natural and essential aspect. As 20th Century American activist Margaret Sanger stated, "No woman can call herself free who does not control her own body."

The ban on abortion is a violation to women’s rights, and to a greater extent, human rights. UN experts warn that this law does not eliminate abortion, but rather the legal form of it. Unable to seek safe, legal aid, pregnant women, particularly women of color or from low-income backgrounds, must resort to unsafe, underground practices which are “profoundly discriminatory and violate a number of rights guaranteed under international law.” Seeing the American Supreme Court rule 5:4 in favor of this law has proved how conservative values still prevail in high-rank politics, despite calls for liberation and social development among the public.

It is crucial to recognize the pro-choice movement does not encourage mass, regular abortion practices, but rather the freedom to do so in reasonable situations. Those who stand with this cause, thus, should not be criminalized as siding with murder. Pro-choice does not equal pro-abortion. Pro-life, similarly, does not result in the elimination of abortion. As mentioned before, it eliminates safe, legal pathways for it, causing more threats and harm to women's bodies.

As politics and religion become entwined in feminism, a rising number of issues are coming to light-- with abortion being at the forefront. What we've witnessed at Texas, celebrated by some and resented by others, may be the beginning of more controversies across the states and abroad. Of course, this article is subjective and as all writing, biased. What I hope to accomplish is not convince you of my opinion, but at least spark awareness and discussion. Agree or disagree, there must be dialogue, communication, and activism.

Growing into a young woman myself, I am fearful to see how the tides will turn in politics and feminism. Will women's rights be considered in policy-making, or will politicians dictate what rights are allowed? Will women be criticized for standing against institutional beliefs, will the law serve justice?

What I do know, is that we cannot turn a blind eye at what may affect half of the world' population. Women are not vulnerable, but they are vulnerable to policy-making in a male-dominated society. Advocating against traditional restrictions therefore, does not make them criminals, but makes them women-- strong, independent, liberated women.