Women Rights - Reproductive Rights
Author: LawSphereX
Category: General Law
Published:
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WOMEN RIGHTS: REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
Vidisha Sameer Kodare, BA LLB, Shri Jayantilal H Patel Law College, Mumbai Introduction The French actress Kalki Koechlin is credited with saying, "No gender is more equitable than the other. " Doormat behaviour is not typical of women. We are comparable to men. Nonetheless, a glaring contradiction still exists in the world: women are often viewed as outsiders in practice but lauded in theory. Women are denigrated by terms like "kalank" (blemish) and "acchut," (impure)1 during their menstrual cycle, despite the fact that they are viewed as symbols of purity and divinity. This contradiction serves as an example of how society does not respect women for their true selves. This contradiction illustrates how society does not value women for who they really are.
Women's brilliance, empathy, and tenacity are the unseen forces driving change, yet these contributions are nonetheless eclipsed by systemic barriers and outdated norms that minimise them. In addition to defending women's rights, this is an attempt to improve society as a whole. A world that truly values women’s contributions is destined to thrive. To honor women is to celebrate humanity itself—a truth that must underpin the foundation of a better tomorrow but this better tomorrow sounds like one of the stories which was never meant to be, as the days pass we have begun our descent to mayhem and we have been controlling our women like cattle stripping them of basic reproductive rights and putting a ban on their voices both figuratively and literally.
Prohibiting abortion constitutes not merely a violation of human rights but also a deliberate act of aggression against autonomy, dignity, and freedom. To deny abortion is to sanction suffering, to uphold oppression, and to utterly reject the very essence of human rights. It is a vicious power play may it be done taking in any political, religious or personal sentiments . Abortion has always been a bioethical issue but that surely does not mean all regards to the common woman’s anatomy and autonomy should be thrown out of the window while the politicians decide laws regarding the bodily functions of another human being.
Around The World Even in first world countries like The United States of America , women are treated as second class citizens , disregarding their bodily autonomy by not providing reproductive rights which were before ensured by the Roe V Wade (1973) , now stripped by Dobbs V Jackson (2022) , which held — The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives. 2 — Many states like Alabama and Oklahoma have banned abortion completely with no exception to victims of sexual assault. 13 of the 51 states have completely banned abortion regardless of the method of conception which shows utter disregard for women’s financial and mental stability .
Further the government plans on enforcing a ban on contraceptives and even criminalizing miscarriage including stillbirths . Pregnancy losses are often toll taking for the woman emotionally and mentally treating her like a criminal at this point of time is ruthless . The highest number of pregnancy related cases were seen after Dobbs V Jackson Women’s Health Organization was passed. Under the new presidency a website ( reproductiverights. gov ) that provided women with the needed information for safe abortions was shut down , the website also showed which of the insurance plans covered the above including breast and cervical cancer screening .
In countries like Malta which has a predominant Roman Christian had criminalized abortion until the year 2023 where it gave women abortion rights only when it was a grave situation which would lead to death of the mother , there are no exceptions to this law even if it means refusing abortion to sexual assault victims making it the most inhumane laws for abortion in the European Union. 3 Having mentioned the majority of the population follows christianity it is important to know what the religious scriptures and leaders say on the topic as for christanity The literature of Apocalypse of peter states “the punishment” for women who abort their babies are buried till their necks in gore while the unborn child shoots these women with flaming arrows.
4 While on the topic of religion I would like to talk about Islam and Hinduism too, Islam on the other hand though considered to be oppressive towards women generally allows abortion if there are any medical abnormalities and before ensoulment which is normally considered to happen after hundred and twentieth day of gestation according to the scholar Hanafi. Hinduism places great emphasis on the sanctity of life, considering its creation and preservation as sacred duties so abortion is usually looked down upon unless the mothers life is in grave danger. This exception shows that protecting the mother’s life and reducing suffering are considered more important than preserving potential life. It shows the religion’s thoughtful approach to morality, where compassion and a sense of duty help guide difficult decisions.
Honduras a country in central america is a country which fully criminalizes abortion may it be due to rape or incest and any person found helping a pregnant woman perform abortion will be 2prosecuted for the same may it be doctors or NGOs up to six years if found guilty this has been the law since 1985 , this absolute prohibition is reinforced by the constitutional law further to make it impossible to make abortion legal in the foreseeable future the Honduran Congress amended the constitution requiring a three-quarters majority (96 out of 128 votes) in Congress to modify the abortion law. Additionally, Honduras is the only country in the region that prohibits the use of emergency contraception, such as the morning-after pill, further limiting reproductive options for women.
El Salvador and Nicaragua are the only two countries to have imposed new restrictions on regards to abortion since the Cairo Declaration , 1994 . This declaration from the International Conference on Population and Development was signed by a hundred and seventy nine countries , it aimed to promote reproductive rights . It established that access to family planning, maternal health care, and gender equality are fundamental rights, not just policy goals. Abortion is completely outlawed in Andorra under all circumstances. The prohibition extends to cases of rape, incest, significant fetal abnormalities, and even instances where the pregnancy endangers the life or health of the pregnant individual. Andorra's absolute ban on abortion is deeply rooted in its constitution, which upholds the protection of life starting at the moment of conception.
This constitutional safeguard solidifies the total prohibition and creates significant barriers to any potential legislative changes within the existing legal structure. In the religious city of Vatican , they follow the Church's stance on sanctity of life making no exception on abortion on any grounds . The legal framework serves as a representation of the Church’s commitment to its teaching , procured abortion is the deliberate and direct killing of another human. Conclusion From Gisele Pelicot to Stella Browne , women have often risen up from the dirt for revolt and have fought for rights which are basic human rights and served to men on a silver spoon . We cannot go back to the dark ages where women had no rights and were just mere commodities of their husbands. We cannot fight the same fight our grandmothers fought for us .
In a just and democratic world individuals have the right to choose and make their own decision about their own autonomy and yet power hungry politicians most of whom will never face the consequences of an unwanted pregnancy continue to weaponize reproductive freedom to curtail the voice of women . These are the same politicians who would not think twice before making cuts in child healthcare and seeing if the child has a safe place growing up . This fight has never been about bringing new life into the world but rather suppressing the voices of powerful women who are no longer under the shoe of the patriarchy . History has been proof that banning abortions does not make them stop but rather push the mothers to take extreme steps which may lead to horrific results for her .
The people have the power not any politicians or any religious extremists and these people will revolt until the government gives us fully autonomic freedom and understand that a country would only thrive with its citizen heard and not oppressed in some strategic maneuver which more than half are unaware of.