Who owns the female body?
Women have been fighting for ownership of their bodies for decades, yet the cycle repeats.
It seems everyone has ownership over the woman’s body except the woman. Major decisions on women’s bodies and reproductive rights are constantly discussed by men — erm many-, and publicly. Opinions are given about rape cases by people not involved in the crime. The woman’s body is not only used as a channel for war crimes, but its ownership has been used for decades as a political tool.
This morning I published an article written by a Caribbean endometriosis survivor — for those who do not know the disease, it is important that you know that 176 million people are affected worldwide, that there is not much research on it, and that it only affects women. The article discussed how a lack of research on the disease has a significant psychological and emotional toll on women affected. They are often misdiagnosed, or because of lack of awareness, often their symptoms are dismissed as period pains.
I have also extensively discussed the lack of awareness and research on menstruation, and how that has affected many women. It is without a doubt that religion has had something to do with it, after all, the bible depicts the woman as the ultimate sinner, to not mention the pain a woman “must” endure during childbirth as punishment for sin. These narratives are harmful to women’s lives and their economic and social status. The woman’s body is being politicised.
It seems everyone has ownership over the woman’s body except the woman
A recent article in the Guardian discusses how a rape trial in Spain galvanised the political scene. A woman was gang-raped by 5 men who were later acquitted of rape and found guilty of sexual abuse. The case sparked anger and protests against sexual assault laws in Spain. Curiously though, as Meaghan Beatley describes, it was “ the anti-feminist backlash that followed (which)has helped propel the far right to its biggest gains since Franco ” — the fascist dictator that ruled in Spain until his death in 1984.
The victim was publicly shamed and had to endure months of headlines about what had happened to her body, as well as being followed by a private investigator who diminished her credibility because she was on holiday after the attack, “living a normal life”.
On the one side, the abortion debate has often served as a stepping stone for the expansion of feminist movements. The fight for legal and safe abortion in Poland and Argentina in the last years has been an example of how discussions on reproductive rights create political movements. Argentinian women took to the streets and painted the world green with their bandanas (emblematic of the struggle), whilst it was politicians wearing suits who discussed their fate.
On the other side, issues like abortion are often spearheading the agendas of far-right parties. In Italy, last year’s Family Day — a day dedicated to honouring the family and the “right to live”- saw thousands of manifestations around Italy with anti-abortion slogans. The March For Life in 2018, an anti Women’s March of sorts, also saw many protesting against abortion rights. On 22 January of this year, the US Senate passed the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) that expanded the legality of abortion. Many protested against the legislation that simply gave more choice to women.
Statistics speak for themselves. One in three women is sexually abused throughout her lifetime. In Congo, almost 40% of women have been victims of rape, infamously used as a weapon of war in the country. Worldwide, women who cannot abort legally often find other ways, sometimes highly unsafe ones, that can lead to serious medical complications, and even death. Women with endometriosis are often misdiagnosed and their symptoms dismissed as simple period pains, because of lack of knowledge on menstruation many women are not aware of the fact that strong pain during the period is not normal.
In the middle of all these political decisions, and under the rain of unsolicited opinions are the bodies of thousands of women who have been raped, sexually abused or saw their sisters die in illegal abortion procedures.
Women have been fighting for ownership of their bodies for decades, yet the cycle repeats. Today, a UN resolution to end sexual violence in war removed all reference to sexual and reproductive health. The Trump administration opposed a phrase on the grounds that it implied support for abortion. Though many expressed regret and disappointment — the French UN Ambassador told BBC that this was undermining the dignity of women-, the United States veto power in the Security Council made fear win over what is right, once again.
In the middle of all these political decisions, and under the rain of unsolicited opinions are the bodies of thousands of women who have been raped, sexually abused or saw their sisters die in illegal abortion procedures. It is absolutely appalling that in 2019, women still need to fight for the ownership of their bodies. But there is one positive thing about these steps back, they are so blatantly wrong that they push more and more women and men in the right direction. The voices grow stronger, the numbers increase and new movements are created.
Yes, the world has taken steps forwards for the rights of women, but mainly privileged ones. There needs to be a radical change that takes into consideration the rights of women of all ethnicities, races, and economic status. Only this way will things truly change.
