Abortion: Is it about protecting those poor souls who don’t have a voice or is it patriarchy?

I’m not sure I should advertise this article, because there’s so many things that are obviously wrong with it. Can you perceive that a pro-lifer is trying to make a point by saying, “The right to choose reinforces patriarchy?”

So, because women claim autonomy over their bodies (as men do and have done for ages), they reinforce patriarchy,because they imitate a man’s limitation of not being able to become pregnant. Shall I say it again? In what world does that even make sense? And why does the author assume that women want the right to choose to be more like a man? I don’t want to be a man or like a man. I simply am not! But I want to be in control over what happens to my own body and have the right to a legal abortion. Do we force anyone to donate blood or an organ to save someone else’s life? This poor kid needs a kidney. For God’s sake, are you really going to say no to a donation and kill this poor kid? Really? We don’t guilt-trip people into donating organs like this, do we? Not even when they’re dead! 

So why do we think, it’s right to equate a woman’s life to that of a fertilised egg? We’re talking about a grown woman, who has social bonds and responsibilities. Why is this egg, that can’t even survive outside of the womb yet, so worthy of protection? Why is it that necessary to restrict a woman’s rights and force her to do things against her will, so we can make sure this egg develops into an actual being? To make sure it develops into an actual human being! A foetus does not exist yet. Before birth a foetus is only an idea of a human being, it can’t be awarded the same rights as an actual human being. What happens if women are forced to carry to term? What do we achieve by policing and controlling women like that?

Does this not actually smell more like patriarchy at its finest? Let’s shame women for their sexualities and life choices! Let’s make sure they’re being ostracized and isolated in a situation like that. Maybe they’ll stay at home then, and think deeply before they even dare leaving the house and living their own agendas? And what does it even mean to have a child nowadays? Pregnancy itself is risky. Maternal mortality is the highest in the US in the developed world. Let’s not forget the cost of pre-natal care! Yes, in the UK the NHS will cover that, but in the US, you’re doomed without insurance. So, if you’re low income, you won’t have good access to pre-natal care which raises the risk of maternal mortality. Even though, there’s a bit of maternity pay in the UK, it’s nowhere near a level that allows you to actually raise your baby. Nurseries are very expensive and it’s still hard to find well-compensated part-time work for women. So, you’re risking your life and then practically surely put yourself in an economically more disadvantaged position.

And what does it mean to have no right to a legal abortion? Will that stop women to seek an abortion altogether? No, it won’t. And illegally carried out abortions are dangerous! So again, it can mean a lot of dead women! Why does a woman’s life not matter? Why do we even call people “pro-life” that are against abortion but for the deaths of a lot of females? And is it really that great to be born into a family where you weren’t wanted? Is that a healthy environment to be raised in?

“Patriarchy” is a system in which the father is head of the family. It’s in the name! If you want to make sure, that you’re only taking care of your own offspring, then you will have to control a woman’s sexuality. If you give the woman the right to abort, she has the right to abort your offspring! How insulting and unbearable this thought must be to a lot of alpha males!

And to all those women out there who are personally against abortion: you can be against abortion for yourself, but if you oppose abortion for other women, how can you even call yourself a feminist? How can you claim to be for women’s rights, if you’re looking to restrict a woman’s freedom? How can restricting a person’s freedom ever be called feminist? How does that go hand in hand? If you don’t want reproductive rights for yourself, fine! If your thought process is, that abortion is beneath a woman and society as a whole should be more child- and pregnancy-friendly, more supportive as a whole, point taken! I support equality for women in ALL fields of life, so yeah, way to go. But even though a lot of abortions are taken out of financial reasons, there will always be women who just don’t want to become mothers, and that’s valid, too.

In Germany, abortions are not legal, but remain free of punishment if there was a mandatory consultation which needs to take place at least 72h before the procedure. However, it’s only de facto permitted up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. After 12 weeks an abortion can only be legal in specific circumstances, e.g. the health of the mother is at risk. Currently, there’s a discussion in Germany whether doctors should be allowed to advertise that they perform abortions. Just informing women that you do abortions, is seen as promoting it. This is how much the German government trusts women to make an informed decision on their own.

In the UK, abortions are permitted up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. 24 weeks is seen as the time when a foetus could survive outside of the womb. Abortion is not an easy decision to make and I don’t ever want to judge a woman on her choice. To me it seems logical, that it’s her choice to make. Based on her beliefs and ethics, but also financial, mental and health situation, she should be able to decide whether she can take care of a healthy, sick or disabled child. It’s up to her to consider the long-term effects, because the child’s happiness depends on her state. No one should impose their own moral views on her. A society is better, if the children who are welcomed into the world live healthy lives. A society is better, where women are given the choice and are not ostracized or penalized for doing so.