From the basic guarantees of the right to life and freedom from physical harm, it is not much of a stretch to arrive at the notion that individuals should have “control over what happens to their bodies.” As Human Rights Watch points out,
Millions of women and girls are forced to marry and have sex with men they do not desire. Women are unable to depend on the government to protect them from physical violence in the home…Women in state custody face sexual assault by their jailers. Women are punished for having sex outside of marriage or with a person of their choosing…Husbands and other male family members obstruct or dictate women’s access to reproductive health care.150
The right of women to control over their bodies is implicitly recognized by human rights protections ranging from the right to health and freedom from discrimination to the right to privacy and freedom from torture.151 Reproductive rights are a very delicate subject but one that receives a lot of attention in public debates in developed as much as developing countries.
In the United States, for example, the issue of abortion has been one of the hottest areas of contention in the culture wars and in presidential campaigns. Advocates of a “woman’s right to choose” argue that women should have complete control over their bodies, including developing fetuses, and therefore the right to decide to terminate a pregnancy. Although having an abortion can be a devastating and traumatic experience, many believe women should have the option to take this course if they deem it necessary.
Opponents of abortion, who would classify themselves as “pro-life,” assert that fetuses should be treated as independent persons even before birth, and that abortion is equivalent to a form of murder – one that should not be permitted in any, or perhaps only the most extreme, circumstances, as when the life of the mother as in imminent danger. They object to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which allowed for abortions to continue to be performed.
To read more about women’s sexual rights, click here.
|Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
In other parts of the world, notably in Africa (in 28 countries) and
FGM is performed by a number of different cultures for a number of different reasons. Sometimes the goal is to limit and control female sexual desire, sometimes is it seen as a rite of passages for girls into womanhood. Some cultures point to health grounds, claiming it is for hygiene. In a few Muslim communities, it is tied to an interpretation of Islam. Whatever the justification, FGM is “usually performed by a traditional practitioner with crude instruments and without anesthetic,” posing a serious risk to those who undergo the procedure.
In addition to the physical side-effects, the mental and psychological harm can be permanent: it “may leave a lasting mark on the life and mind of the woman who has undergone it. In the longer term, women may suffer feelings of incompleteness, anxiety and depression.”153
Does FGM constitute torture or an acceptable cultural practice whose deep-rooted traditions justify its existence? Is it a violation of privacy or a proper exercise of familial authority? These questions are important to ponder in trying to understand the scope of a woman’s human rights.
To see a videos about FGM, please watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh4fWUVcBN4 (a women discusses her experience after FGM) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMSQPDd1B2g&feature=player_embedded (please note there is some tribal nudity).
For more on women and health issues, see the “Health” section of the “Women and Globalization” Issue in Depth.