After Alabama passed a restrictive abortion bill, a backward move for women’s rights in the state that has caused much debate, women have been speaking up about their own experiences with abortion.
The bill, voted through largely by 25 middle-aged, white men who will obviously never experience the trauma of unwanted pregnancy, will disproportionately affect black and poor women if it becomes law, because they are more likely to seek abortions and less able to travel to another state to have the procedure performed.
Women are often sidelined when it comes to laws that affect them directly, and this is a perfect example. That’s why it is so important that women’s voices and experiences are heard if we are to expect change in the future.
The latest high-profile voice to speak out is actress Milla Jovovich, who gave a heartbreaking account of an emergency abortion that she had to undertake. “Abortion is a nightmare at its best. No woman wants to go through that. But we have to fight to make sure our rights are preserved to obtain a safe one if we need to,” she wrote in a searingly honest post on Instagram. “I never wanted to speak about this experience. But I cannot remain silent when so much is at stake.”
Because it’s true, women who are pro-choice are often painted by conservative commentators as craven aborters, wantonly and carelessly getting pregnant at the drop of a hat while terminating the fetus on a whim. Clearly, nothing could be further from the truth. Women simply expect a safe, professional and affordable option as a last resort, particularly if the pregnancy occurred in traumatic circumstances such as rape or incest. The Alabama bill denies even this and would make abortion a crime at any stage of pregnancy, with the only exception for a serious threat to the health of the woman. The woman herself would not be criminally liable for the procedure, but any doctor carrying out an abortion would find themselves in deep legal trouble and face possible jail time if charged.
Image credits: millajovovich
There are only four women in the Alabama Senate, all of which sit with the minority Democratic party. According to the Guardian, Democratic minority leader Bobby Singleton objected to the abortion bill while saying: “You’ve got 27 men over on the other side ready to tell women what they can do with their bodies.”
Clearly, there needs to be greater female representation in politics, particularly in certain states where imbalances like these cause repressive policies on the lives and bodies of women. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
Image credits: millajovovich
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