Reproduction: The Circle of Death
The continuous cycle that inevitably ends in the oppression of low income women.
The circle of life is a naturalized interpretation of life itself that involves the idea of nature taking life away, but at the same time giving it back to earth again. The “circle” symbolizes the cycle of the infinite nature of energy, meaning if something dies it will inevitably give new life to another. However, what I refer to as the circle of death revolves around the idea that death itself is inevitable. Contrary to the circle of life, nature will be manifested in such way that it only takes away without giving anything back. It is at this point that hope for life is lost because the only thing that can be recycled is death. This ideology can be applied to the real world social and political interactions around us as well. Take for instance the current stance and action on the subject of women’s reproduction health. It is ridiculous that we are even debating on this issue. The US Congress is spending too much time on an human rights issue that was technically resolved and covered with the establishment of the United States’ International Human Rights Obligations. The right of a woman’s personal choice over her own body should not be a topic for discussion of extremist politicians all over the nation. This system has led to a cycle that primarily affects low income women and prohibits the ability to surpass the socioeconomic status of the generation before them.
The current bills revolving around the subject of women’s reproduction health proposed by these extremist politicians are restricting the rights for women to make decisions over their own bodies. It is outrageous to think that these laws inflicted on women are by any means legal and not a violation to their human rights. Take for instance the states that adopted the 1976 Hyde Amendment; which prohibited the federal funding for abortion under the Medicaid program. Considering the demographics of the individuals covered by Medicaid, this amendment was completely geared towards a certain population. The individuals most affected by this were the female constituents of the lower class. This is a prime example of the circle of death manifested in our political society. Under this amendment, low income women were denied the resources to attain a second option. Without that opportunity, they were forced to carryout an unexpected pregnancy and give birth to a child that would inevitably get stuck in the same system causing the cycle to continue.
The right to health granted by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) under the United States’ International Human Rights Obligations states that that US hold the legal obligation to “respect, protect, and fulfill” the rights of “health and life,” “equality and non-discrimination” and “reproduction self-determination.” This human rights framework ensured that all women had access to safe and legal abortion services with no discrimination of race, color or ethnic origin. Prior to these establishments, many women were still being misinformed; causing them to struggle in their search to access coverage and benefits of Medicaid. Not having complete access to these benefits was vital and strictly affected women.
“If there was the reinstatement of Medicaid funding for abortion, low-income women would be able to pursue their dreams, move forward in their lives, and exercise the same right to choose that middle-class women can. Women would be able to turn their lives around. It would just make all the difference for women.”
-Executive director of the Women’s Medical Fund.
As you can see, there is a clear ongoing problem that is affecting a certain demographic. Low income women are being oppressed by policies made by extremist politicians. One of the biggest terrors of this system is that it is crating a cycle for the affected individuals in which it is practically impossible to get out of. This system does not only maintain the poor poorer, it also concurrently keeps the rich richer. It is time to remove ourselves from that extremist sovereignty and break that circle of death that continues to affect the women of the lower class and feed the war against women. Women are the only ones that should have an opinion and right over what happens to their bodies. The emerging policies on reproductive rights and procedures, such as abortion, need to be limited to women since they are the only ones that it applies to.
