As Seen On – Reversing Roe

 

Pro Life VS. Pro Choice

Fundamental to and at the heart of Gender Equality, Female Rights and Feminism lie a consensus of Reproductive Rights as constitutional. The flaming debate on abortion is systematically trying to overturn and reverse this consensus and to its effect Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion. The documentary Reversing Roe sheds light on both sides of the abortion debate tackling the core issue in SDG 5 Gender Equality. 

The argument provided by anti-choice, or the prolife segment is that the unborn child is a person and abortion is killing human life. They claim rights for the unborn by highlighting the question of whether an unborn fetus is a person and should its moral right be considered. Their argument loses merit for the simple reason that it denigrates women who are alive now and their rights.

Reproductive rights mean that women not only have the right to have children but also the right not to have them. There is a constant political effort to degrade, accost and strip women of their right over their own bodies and the right to decide for themselves. 

"It's the basis of democracy that you control your body and it’s the basis of hierarchy and totalitarian regimes that you don't" – these words of one of the pro-choice leaders in the documentary suggest that duplicitous and hypocritic don’t even begin to cover the incessant attempts at bigotry and misogyny.

Claiming to know the best for everyone and especially for women the pro-life wing over the years has targeted the opposing side by going against the very nature of their name. From the killing of doctors performing abortions to mind washing people through unscientific and uncredited visual and data

It’s ironical that after all the progress on gender equality men decide for women in the most open, unreserved, and unashamed ways. This was true for the large part of the inception of this issue, as nearly all political offices in the United States of America and the Supreme Court were dominated and run by men. Women today yield effective voice worthy of changing the course of political action. Exceptional female leadership encompassing instances like Wendy Davis’ filibuster of the Texas Abortion Law.

This issue has divided America and the rest of the world on the lines of gender political and religious affiliations. It can only be the peak of patriarchy that the male gender and the state feel like they have authority to decide for females.

Increasingly politicized and made partisan, all action with regards to the debate came down to which of the two parties came to power and the subsequent appointment of Supreme Court judges who support the ruling parties stand on the issue. Thus, with every presidential election the verdict faces considerable opportunity to be reversed. Some people also argue that religious concerns are shaping the view of people in a country that gives religious freedom to its people.  

It should be etched into our understanding that the reversing of Roe will also mean reversing of gender equality.