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Feminist arguments against abortion (Part 1)

Information: This article sets out some of the arguments pro-life feminists use against abortion. What is interesting about these arguments is that they are not concerned with arguing why abortion is morally wrong, or why the fetus should be regarded as a person (as many pro-lifers do). Instead they show how abortion is either contrary to basic feminist principles, or how the act can lead to the further oppression of women.

Introduction

'The abortion debate seems like an irresolvable conflict of rights: the right of women to control their own bodies, the right of children to be born. Can one both support women's rights and oppose abortion?' (Mathewes-Green F., Abortion: Women's Rights...and Wrongs, www.feministsforlife.org)

It seems almost absurd to think that feminists would be anything other than firm supporters of the right for women to have abortion on demand (pro-choice). In fact, to take away this 'right' might be seen as yet another example of patriarchy at work, and the suppression of women. Yet rather surprisingly, some feminists are anything but pro-choice when it comes to the matter of abortion. In fact, rather than regard the denial of abortion-on-demand as an infringement of women's rights and further evidence of patriarchy, they believe quite the opposite.

Abortion is anti-feminism

A key theme running through pro-life feminist literature, is that abortion is contrary to the basic feminist goal of working to overcome oppressive social, religious, philosphical and moral power structures. As an act which puts women in a position of power over a fetus which has no say in whether it lives or dies, it is easy to see why some feminists believe the pro-choice position 'is flawed, morally inadequate, and inconsistent with feminism's basic demands for justice' (Callahan, S., Abortion and the Sexual Agenda).

Pregnant woman with my baby is pro-choice written across her belly

Pro-choice campaigner (Copyright: Chronicle/Kurt Rogers)

'Abortion doesn't cure any illness; it doesn't win any woman a raise. But in a culture that treats pregnancy and childrearing as impediments, it surgically adapts the woman to fit in. If women are an oppressed group, they are the only such group to require surgery in order to be equal.' (Mathewes-Green F., Abortion: Women's Rights...and Wrongs, www.feministsforlife.org)

In her essay Abortion and the Sexual Agenda (1986), Sidney Callahan argues that abortion also requires women to treat the fetus as a non-person, in much the same way that they have been treated as non-persons by men over the years. For just as women have often been regarded as an aspect of men's private property (to be valued, used and disposed of as they so desire), so abortion requires women to treat the fetus as a non-person; an aspect of their bodily-property to be valued, or kept, or devalued and discarded as they see fit. Yet if women are to take the feminist agenda seriously, Callahan believes they should be willing to fight for justice on behalf of the 'powerless and dependent' fetus too, not just themselves:

'As the most recent immigrants from non-personhood, feminists have traditionally fought for justice for themselves and the world... Rejecting male aggression and destruction, feminists seek alternative, peaceful, ecologically sensitive means to resolve conflicts while respecting human potentiality. It is a chilling inconsistency to see pro-choice feminists demanding continued access to [abortion]. It is a betrayal of feminism, which has built the struggle for justice on the bedrock of women's empathy.' [Bracket mine]

Callahan also argues that the idea that abortion empowers women is illusory. In reality, abortion is nothing short of an admission by women that they are too weak to cope with being pregnant:

'Instead of being empowered by their abortion choices, young women having abortions are confronting the debilitating reality of not bringing a baby into the world; not being able to count on a committed male partner; not accounting oneself strong enough, or the master of enough resources, to avoid killing the fetus. Young women are hardly going to develop the self-esteem, self-discipline, and self-confidence necessary to confront a male-dominated society through abortion.'

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Abortion negates the communal and relational dimension of life

The pro-choice agenda is concerned with empowering women to be capable of choosing to have an abortion, when faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Abortion is something which enables women to take back their body, and along with this control of their life. However, although all feminists are interested in women being in control of their lives (rather than being controlled), pro-life feminists believe this should not be at the expense of recognising that all life is fundamentally interconnected.

'An individual woman and the unique individual embryonic life within her can only exist because of their participation in the genetic inheritance of the human species as a whole.' (Callahan, S., Abortion and the Sexual Agenda)

Spider web

Feminists often emphasise the interrelationships between humans (Source: Photobucket)

The fact that the born and yet-to-be born are all participants in the genetic inheritance of human race is significant to pro-life feminists, and in failing to acknowledge this pro-choicers are giving too much attention to the individual woman and her right to choose what to do with her body (and her fetus). In fact, pro-life feminists believe the abortion issue is fundamentally a social matter. For in largely focusing on the reasons why women should be allowed to choose to have abortions, pro-choicers are failing to address the question of why women should be faced with the decision about whether to have an abortion, or not.

For instance, if a woman becomes pregnant and feels that having a child at that time will be detriment to her career, or will be inconvenient in terms of her education etc., pro-choice advocates believe abortion will give her the chance to be successful in business, or to do well at school. However, pro-life feminists believe that arguing that women should have the right to have an abortion to help their career or education prospects, does nothing to actually tackle the social and cultural influences which have forced them to make this decision. Simply choosing to have an abortion means the societal and cultural attitudes which have made it difficult for women to have children and a successful career, or be pregnant and do well at school, are simply not being addressed. In fact, by choosing to have an abortion, everything stays the same:

'Social feminists call attention to contextual constraints on liberty and prefer to restructure social and cultural institutions to suit women's reproductive lives... they would rather restructure educational and business institutions to allow women to achieve economic security while having families when it is healthiest to do so' (Shanner L., A Companion to Feminist Philosophy)

Pro-life feminists also argue that abortion frees the wider community from having any sense of responsibility towards pregnant women, which is unsurprising if society is being led by men and structured according to male-interests and needs (patriarchy).

'I think that part of women's rage about abortion restrictions can be traced to their awareness of how greatly, in our society, men have been liberated from responsibility [for the children conceived]... There is an injustice in the background of much pregnancy. But the injustice is not that women are pregnant... [It is because although] normal sex requires the willing participation of two parties, women are being left with most of the responsibility for the children conceived.' (Wilcox J. T., Nature as Demonic in Thompson's Defense [Bracket mine])

Feminist arguments against abortion (Part 2)

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