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I think that most people can agree that being a mother is one of the most important jobs in the world. Mothers shape future generations and thus the future failures and successes of humanity. Being a mother is also an incredibly difficult job that requires a lot of responsibility. It’s understandable that there are many women who don’t feel ready to take on such responsibility, even if they are pregnant.
There are many circumstances under which women may face an unwanted pregnancy. Teen pregnancy is one example, and is all too common because of factors like poor sex education. Is a sixteen-year-old girl always ready to give up her fleeting childhood and devote the rest of her life to a child? Or think of a pregnancy that was the result of rape. Is a woman who has been so violated by her attacker always willing to raise her attacker’s child? This is where abortion comes in. Abortion should be an available choice for women. Of course, there are other options, like adoption, but giving birth and carrying the baby to term is not desirable or possible for some women.
Regardless of religious views or whether or not you would consider abortion personally, a woman should be permitted absolute control over her body. Motherhood is a wonderful thing, but some women aren’t emotionally ready, have the financial means to care for a child, etc. — the list goes on. Every woman should have a choice in the matter and women deserve to have all options available. As feminists, it is our duty to protect that right.
Throughout this presidential campaign, we have learned that Romney opposes rape with exceptions for cases of rape, incest and in the interest of the health of the mother, while Ryan strongly opposes abortion. Regardless of their other political stand points, this is an anti-feminist outrage. Who are they as privileged men to condemn such a personal decision for women? They should not criticize the procedure, but rather respect that it is not even an issue that involves them.
In 1973, thanks to our feminist foremothers, we succeeded in making abortion fully accessible in all states in the epic Supreme Court battle that was Roe vs. Wade. We have had this luxury for only 39 years. Through these years we have fought tooth and nail to maintain the verdict that is still one of the most controversial Supreme Court decisions. As modern women, we should be able to take advantage of all that we have gained over the course of time. How dare Romney and Ryan try to take away such a right from us. If they take abortion away, who knows what else they will try to steal from women. There are still many countries where abortion is illegal (and it should be noted that abortion rates are actually higher in those countries). We need to fight for our abortion rights not just for ourselves, but also for the women who do not currently have access to abortion because it is something we all deserve. No one should be able to take it away.
