Abortions, Autonomy, and the State’s Claim on Uteri

Patriarchal states have always been interested in wombs. Population panic, “family values,” and moral panic around unmarried sexuality all treat women’s reproductive capacity as national property.

Beyond “Pro-Choice” Slogans

Reproductive justice, as Black feminists articulated, includes: - the right to have a child - the right not to have a child - the right to parent children in safe, sustainable communities

In India, legal access to abortion exists under conditions — but stigma, provider refusal, spousal gatekeeping, and rural access gaps still decide outcomes.

The Root Fight

Bodily autonomy is the opposite of patriarchal ownership. When families force pregnancy for “lineage,” or force abortion for gender preference, they are enacting the same logic from opposite sides: the woman’s body as instrument.