Every time the political landscape in America drums up the abortion debate I am reminded of my time in Pakistan where abortion is still illegal and botched abortions and untimely deaths the result.
"Mera jism, mere marzi" the famous Pakistani feminist's slogan where women take to the streets annually for the Aurat (Women's) March against a patriarchal society. They stand against the structural violence, injustices, and inequality inflicted on women of Pakistani society in various forms, like honor killings, acid attacks, and harassment at public places and offices, child rape, women's labor in the form of childbirth, minor girls marriages to an aged man, forced child marriages, the Vani customs of giving girls to aggrieved family for ending disputes and that of domestic violence. The learning allied with this rhetoric also asserts for a gender-equal world with the least gender discrimination.
"My body, my choice" is a slogan that is meant to represent the idea of personal bodily autonomy, bodily integrity and freedom of choice. Bodily autonomy constitutes self determination over one's own body without external domination or duress. Bodily integrity is the inviolability of the physical body and emphasizes the importance of personal autonomy, self-ownership and the self-determination of human beings over their own bodies.
The Problem - Where it all started (Justice Alito's draft opinion)
Click on the link above. In the left hand corner you will see a drop down menu to "Find Your Senator." Click on your state and it will open to a page with your senators' contact info listed.
Amnesty International - Key Facts on Abortion
WHO - Abortion Around the World
Inaccessibility of quality abortion care risks violating a range of human rights of women and girls, including the right to life; the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the right to benefit from scientific progress and its realization; the right to decide freely and responsibly on the number, spacing and timing of children; and the right to be free from torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment.
