Reproductive Rights Papers

Angela Davis discusses, women of Latina and black backgrounds who had no control over the number of children they would have or how they will live. Angela Davis believes this is what is separating colored/ immigrant women from participating in the

The Birth Control Movement of 1912 in the United States had a significant impact on Women’s Reproductive Rights. Women in the 1800s would frequently die or have complications during or after childbirth. Even if the woman would have died, they would still have a great amount of children. As the years progressed into the 1900s, the amount of children being born dropped. Because of this, birth control supplements were banned, forcing women to have a child that she was not prepared for or did not want to have in the first place.

The battle for reproductive rights began well over a hundred years ago. At a time when families were producing more children than they could afford to feed, many women were seeking primitive forms of birth control and undergoing abortions. It was in the 1860s that a postal inspector turned politician named Anthony Comstock, in partnership with the Young Men’s Christian Association, set out on a crusade to condemn all forms of birth control and any kind of abortion by claiming they violated “anti-obscenity laws” (Baer). These men eventually succeeded and created the Comstock Laws in 1873 that prohibited all “sales, advertising, or information on birth control” (Baer).

The topic of reproductive rights surrounding women in Texas has been a hot buttoned issue since the closing of many reproductive centers across the state. Recently damaging abortion restrictions were passed and therefor encroach on women’s reproductive rights even more by decreasing access to abortion care. Texas’ 84th Legislature, both passed HB 3994 as a law and had it Governor Abbott make it effective with his signature on July 8, or this year. This law complicates access to abortion services for mistreated and neglected minors and for those who do not possess specific identification cards in Texas.

Similarly, Patricia Hill’s work “Black Feminist Thought” explains the need for black feminism. For Hill U.S. black feminism is needed in order for black women to survive, cope with, and resist their differential treatment in society. Black feminist thought creates a collective identity among this marginalized group of African-American women. Hill provides several features that make U.S. Black feminist thought different than any other set of feminism. The first feature Hill speaks about is ‘blackness’ it is this concept that makes U.S. black feminist a different group that suffers a “double oppression”. Thus, U.S. Black women collectively participate in a dialectical relationship which links African American women’s oppression and activism. Hill speaks on the U.S. black feminist thought and the dilemma they face in American society. During the women’s right movement there was a tremendous difference between black and white women’s experiences, “while women of color were urged, at every turn, to become permanently infertile, white women enjoying prosperous economic conditions were urged, by the same forces, to reproduce themselves”. It is this difference in attitudes that demonstrate why there is a need to focuses on the linkage of experiences and ideas experienced by the black women in America. Consequently, Davis analyzes the hypocritical differences of the government of the

In the later years of the twentieth century, women rights became more and more equivalent to men as far as the constitution grants. Today, each gender is supposedly entitled to the same opportunities as the other: voting, owning property, working, holding an office, and much more. However, the constitution doesn't specifically mention one key concept that occurs in a women’s life, the ability to choose which path they desire to pursue after becoming pregnant: birth or abortion. The right to the latter was only acknowledged through the results of the landmark supreme court case, Roe v Wade.

The Women’s March on January 21, 2017 also stirred the emotions of American citizens, for different reason. The vast response to the March throughout the country left some wondering why such action was needed, when women’s rights have come such a long way from when the US was founded. Those unware of the March’s mission are likely unaware that it was centered around many principles including: ending violence, LQBTQIA rights, worker’s rights, civil rights, disability rights, immigrant rights, environmental justice, and reproductive rights (Women’s March, 2017). The focus on reproductive right’s centered on reproductive freedom and an access to quality reproductive healthcare services, birth control, HIV/AIDS care and prevention, medically accurate sexuality education, and access to safe, legal, affordable abortion (Women’s March,2017). Access to abortion is an issue that varies state to state, similar to the issue of gun regulation.

Women’s rights have always been underestimated. One aspect of women’s rights that receives a lot of attention is reproductive rights. Often times, people think of reproductive rights and automatically think of abortion, but, reproductive rights can include many things like abortion and birth control/ contraceptives, etc. Although reproductive rights are for both men and women, women often have a harder time exercising their rights. The famous 1973 case of Roe v. Wade made history in women’s reproductive rights by legalizing abortion, its efforts for abortion to not be criminalized were reached and allowed women to receive abortions without being criminalized. Yet, since 1973 there has been many efforts that set up undue burdens which have strained the rights of many women. There have been many social groups that work towards both side of the spectrum of reproductive rights like: Pro-Choice and Pro-Life. Campaigns, which work as political or social organizers that strive towards achieving a particular thing or area, have made the efforts to fight for the reproductive rights that they believe in. Furthermore, there are many key campaigns that work towards a specific aspect of reproductive rights. For example, Planned Parenthood Action typically fights for birth control, while NRLA usually fights for the rights of women to be able to decided if they want the abortion or not, the National Right to Life (NRLC) fights for abortions to be illegal and tries to influence people into

The book, Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organize for Reproductive Justice, was published by the South End Press and written by Marlene Gerber Fried, Loretta Ross, and Elena Gutierrez. Ultimately, due to the lack of inclusivity and representation during the mainstream reproductive movement in the 20th century, this book highlights the bravery and activism done by women of color and their grassroots organizations in order to combat racism and stereotypes as well as to broaden and redefine the meaning of reproductive rights and reproductive justice, so as to ensure that all women, not just middle class white women, had their voices heard and addressed. With a thorough look at the various grassroots organizations as well as the various women of color behind them, I believe this book does an exceptional job at not only analyzing the historical contexts, but also analyzing the grassroots

Both talked about principles of reproductive rights as a concept of human rights, discussing the topics surrounding reproductive rights, as well as the interconnected relationships between the rights, entities, viewpoints, and individuals involved in producing reproductive rights. Silliman et al. (2004) referred to some cultures around the world that females are second-class

In 1973, the US Supreme Court declared abortion a nationwide fundamental right through a trial called Roe vs. Wade and protected this right underneath the Fourteenth Amendment, more specifically, the right to privacy. A basic human right, especially one outlined by the Supreme Court, must never run at risk or threat chiefly because not everyone agrees with it. Under no circumstances should a pregnancy ever adjudge mandatory. Abortion is a Constitutional right and as a nation we must fight to give the right and freedom of safe abortions to women all around the nation, make birth control and sex education accessible to women, and raise awareness about the topic itself. (LawCornell)

Black feminists have investigated how rape as a specific form of sexual violence is embedded in a system of interlocking race, gender, and class oppression (Davis 1978, 1981, 1989; Hall 1983). Reproductive rights issues such as access to information on sexuality and birth control, the struggles for abortion rights, and patterns of forced sterilization have also garnered attention

Women’s reproductive rights are a global issue in today’s world. Women have to fight to have the right to regulate their own bodies and reproductive choices, although in some countries their voices are ignored. Abortion, sterilization, contraceptives, and family planning services all encompass this global issue of women’s reproductive rights.

Abortion has been one of the hottest topics concerning women’s health care and reproductive rights. Tune into any presidential debate and you’ll notice candidates spending as much time discussing the topic as immigration, foreign policy, climate change, and gun control. There are a lot of misconceptions about the pro-choice movement but it can be explained in very simple terms. Being pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion, it simply means accepting that women have the choice to choose what they do with their bodies, not the government or anyone else. I believe strongly in this issue and believe that we should look at our past and not go back to a time where women did not have the same rights as men over their bodies. We are trying to become equal, not return to an era of submission. No man or government should have the power to control a women’s body; every person has a right to his/her own body. Abortion should be kept an easy, accessible, safe, and legal option for all women regardless of beliefs. We should be taking strides forward toward equality, not steps back. In the mid-twentieth century, second wave feminists saw major struggles of women and sought to radically improve and change the security of women and reproductive rights. We have fought hard for many of the rights we have today, but everyday we are challenged by those who want to oppose and erase our efforts.

Another issue that the Women's Rights Movement undertook was women's reproductive rights. In early 19th century American society, a husband could legally demand sexual intercourse from his wife, even if she didn't consent. Because of this, the issue of birth control began to surface among women activists. Margaret Sanger and Emma Goldman started advocating birth control in the 1920s. The American Birth Control League, which would later become the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, was founded in 1921. Throughout the 1900s, birth control would remain an important issue in the Women's