Roe v Wade Is Not Just About Abortion
Regardless of your views on abortion when we make a personal decision a communal decision, what we are all agreeing to is control.
I lived in Barcelona for most of 2018 and yet this photo taken in Dublin is my favourite of all I have from that year. I am outside Dublin Castle following the announcement that the referendum to change our restrictive laws and give women access to full reproductive healthcare including abortion had passed by large majority. I remember feeling so proud of our country and what we were saying about equality that day.
What always strikes me about the implementation of restrictive abortion laws is that the real rationale for restriction is much deeper. Don’t fall into the trap of believing it is just about reproductive rights. It is really about keeping power, control and money confined to those who already have it. What is happening in the US today impacts those of privilege the least. Rich women will still be able to access safe abortions.
It suits the system if we believe this is just about abortion. We all expend large amounts of energy debating our opposing views on one topic while missing the broader point. Focusing on women is a way to distract from what power systems really want - your autonomy. Everyone’s autonomy. Irrespective of your gender. Regardless of your views on abortion when we make a personal decision a communal decision, what we are all agreeing to is control. When we allow one person to be controlled, by extension we are all controlled.
Patriarchal systems serve a very small amount of people. They don’t serve men either. Within these systems, men must conform to old stereotypes of what it means to be a man. They must stay within certain well defined life paths, not deviate from what is acceptable. How very convenient for those with the most power.
We have been policing Womens’ bodies, autonomy and freedom for centuries. We don’t take a woman’s right to basic life choices seriously because we have never had to. More fundamentally, patriarchal systems try to control women because women scare them. If the systems don’t believe us to be powerful and a threat- why all the drama and struggle to control us? Lastly, if I was faced with the choice of whether to have an abortion or not, I would not need judgement or be controlled, I would need your love and unwavering support.