Women’s Rights
Laura Purdy in the article Are Pregnant Women Fetal containers concludes that a humane society is a liberal one that allows women to control what happens in their bodies. Women’s right to their bodies should be respected just like those of their male counterparts. Controlling what women do with their bodies does not only infringe on their rights but also indirectly declares them as second class citizens.
While there is some level of responsibility bestowed upon women because of fetal dependence on their wellbeing, their actions in choosing themselves over their fetuses should not be used to judge them as morally deficient. Fetuses are not yet persons hence the level of responsibility a woman has for herself should supersede that which she has towards the fetus growing up inside of her.
Moreover, it would be better for pregnant women to cut short the development of a fetus than to let it fully develop with deformities and mental incapacities. In such scenarios, the mother’s choice should be applauded rather than judged as outright selfishness. Chances are ripe that if the fetus were allowed to choose, they would not choose a low-quality life, unaware of their existence because of their mental incapacities. Women should not be forced to have children they do not want or whom they cannot take care of. If such women are forced into making the ‘moral’ choice of having their babies, the latter would be subjected to a life that is every child’s nightmare.
There lies a thick line between pregnancy and parenthood. However, the perception of fetuses as conscious persons make these two terms almost interchangeable. Perhaps this explains why there exists a lot of judgment on women who opt out of pregnancy or defer parenthood altogether. For as long as fetuses are perceived as persons, women will still be subject to unnecessary moral judgment over their decisions to terminate their pregnancies. There needs to be an awareness that draws the line between infanticide and fetal termination.
Unlike popular opinion, the termination of a pregnancy is often a mandatory rather than a selfish decision. Drug addicts, teenage mothers, and women who work in high-risk places are likely incapable of handling the parental responsibilities that come with having a child. Drug addicts may be emotionally and mentally incapable, women in high-risk occupations are at risk of losing their jobs rendering them incapable of financially meeting the needs of their infants. Additionally, teenage girls are children themselves, immature in every aspect and incapable of handling another child. While most women may intend to become parents later in life, they wish to enter parenthood willingly. When coerced into it, the resulting result is often children who have a rocky childhood and poor upbringing. The decision to terminate a pregnancy is, therefore, one that protects a child from the harsh realities of being brought into a situation where its presence is unwanted.
The society should not judge or shame women for choosing what is right for them. The controversies surrounding abortion would not exist if the society recognized women as people whose needs and rights are as important as everybody else’s. Court orders which violate a woman’s right to take care of herself the way she deems fit are dubious and based on the double standards that exist in the patriarchal society we live in. While most men get away with refusing to be a part of a child’s life, women are held accountable for making the best decision for themselves and their unborn fetuses. Until society adopts an open-minded mentality towards the issue of abortion, women will still be regarded as villains whenever they make a decision that is regarded as immoral by societal standards.
References
Purdy, L. M. (1999). Are pregnant women fetal containers. Bioethics, An Anthology. Oxford: Blackwell.