Reproductive rights: A Global Journey of Control, Conflict, and Progress
Reproductive rights: A Global Journey of Control, Conflict, and Progress
The topic of women’s reproductive rights is a highly contested one globally in terms of social, political and legal discussion and although today it’s a highly debated issue, it hasn’t always been. Some of the earliest recordings of family planning and contraception, including abortion, date all the way back to around 1850 BC in Ancient Egypt, from which time there was little recorded backlash against the topic legally until the late 19th century! Previously, there had been religious objections to many aspects of family planning, in particular within christianity, but there was barely any legislative intervention. With industrialisation came the sudden growth in the population of big cities and therefore, for economic reasons, population control through either encouraging or discouraging family planning became a political process. Additionally, reproductive freedom was becoming a threat to patriarchal hierarchies as women sought independent careers; the fight surrounding women’s rights - or lack thereof - was an important means of keeping women under some form of male-dominated control. By the beginning of the 20th century, abortion was illegal almost worldwide.
The use of law to politicise women’s rights is evident throughout history and across the globe. For example, in the Soviet Union, abortion was legalised in 1920 during a famine to reduce the population; yet, when Stalin later needed more manpower for his plans to invade Europe, it was banned once again. Then, after his death, it was re-legalised in 1955 to promote the Soviet Union as a communist state to be fair and peace-loving. Another example is China in East Asia. In the 1970s, facing overpopulation, China introduced the well-known one-child policy. Women were required to share personal information about their bodies with the government, were often forced to use contraception, and, in some cases, were even forcibly sterilised. The impact of these policies often lasts long after they’re reversed, influencing cultural attitudes toward childbirth as well. For example, having more than two children might be frowned upon, and children born outside of marriage may be viewed as less valuable. From recent history, there are many examples similar to these, and they all point to the same conclusion: that, on the whole, governments do not care so much about moral or religious justifications - and that the dispute of who has the legal rights to determine women’s reproductive choices is really a dispute of politics, power and control.
However, it isn’t all bad news! There have been pivotal moments in the progression of international law that have been working to protect women’s reproductive rights, one of which being international treaties like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Often referred to as the ‘international bill of rights for women’, this treaty, brought into action in 1981, supports family planning rights which many take to mean safe access to procedures such as abortion. However, nowhere explicitly references a right to terminate a pregnancy and therefore it is up to interpretation. Another way in which reproductive rights can be protected is under Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): The right to privacy. It is suggested that this includes the freedom to make personal choices regarding one's reproductive life, such as abortion and family planning. The Human Rights Committee has also emphasised that restrictive abortion legislation may infringe upon the right to privacy, including the right to reproductive autonomy.
The fight to protect women’s reproductive rights is ongoing and in the face of changes such as the overturning of Roe V Wade there are still positive forces. California and New York, for instance, have passed measures designed to protect citizens as well as visitors from states with restrictions, highlighting the uneven availability of access around the United States yet also showing that legislation can be used to enforce areas of protection for these rights. Despite the struggle for women’s rights often displaying a bleak picture, there is a constant movement for positive change being enacted globally. Around the world, more women and girls are gaining the power to make informed decisions about their bodies and their futures. With greater access to family planning comes improvement to not only individual lives but also the power to uplift entire communities, breaking cycles of poverty and empowering women to reach their fullest potential.
