Page 281 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

2058 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed
citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing
that ever has. • Margaret Mead (1901–1978)

Hodgson, D. L., & McCurdy, S. A. (Eds.). (2001). “Wicked” women and tant feminist agenda because these rights are irrevocably
the reconfiguration of gender in Africa. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. entwined with women’s political, economic, and social
Jaquette, J. S. (Ed.). (1989).The women’s movement in Latin America: Fem-
inism and the transition to democracy. Boston: Unwin Hyman. status in society. In the United States and Western
Jaquette, J. S. (Ed.). (1994).The women’s movement in Latin America: Par- Europe, where women are able to control their own fer-
ticipation and democracy. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Kumar, R. (1993). The history of doing: An illustrated account of move- tility, they enjoy, relatively speaking, a higher status in
ments for women’s rights and feminism in India 1800–1990. London: society, whereas in some countries in the Third World,
Verso. such as Bangladesh, Nepal, or the Central African Repub-
Rai, S., Pilkington, H., & Phizacklea,A. (Eds.). (1992). Women in the face
of change: The Soviet Union, eastern Europe and China. London: lic, where women are denied access to basic information,
Routledge. they are in a disadvantageous state economically, socially,
Wesoky, S. (2002). Chinese feminism faces globalization. New York:
Routledge. and politically. Lack of information results in uninformed
wives and mothers, increased instances of reproductive ill-
nesses, and high maternal and infant mortality rates.
Therefore, feminists are united in the view that women
around the world should be able to control their own
Women’s bodies and be granted the right to choose contraceptives
and make informed choices about terminating a
Reproductive- pregnancy.

Rights Movements The Early Years of
Reproductive Choice
n 1968 the United Nations International Human For centuries women across the globe have used vaginal
IRights Conference overwhelmingly declared that pessaries, herbal douches, the rhythm method, extended
reproductive rights should be acknowledged as basic breast feeding, and herbal concoctions to control their
human rights. This conclusion was based on the ration- fertility and limit births. In strictly patriarchal countries,
ale that a woman’s right to control her own body is an where boys were preferred to girls, female infanticide was
expression of free will. The reality is that for women in practiced to limit the female population or maintain a
many countries, reproductive choice is in the hands of desired sex ratio. Trying to restrict fertility is not new;
husbands or governments. What should be a woman’s what is new is the concerted effort by feminists to grant
most private experience is in fact controlled and shaped women the right to control the decision of whether or
by economic, political, and social institutions.Therefore, not to have children as well as the frequency and num-
feminists around the world, irrespective of their ideolog- ber of children, as this has a great impact on their bod-
ical and political differences, are united in their desire to ies and lives. Reproductive choice, feminists argue,
see women granted reproductive rights. It is an essential should be in the hands of women and not husbands or
precondition for women’s full participation in society. governments.
It was in the midst of the momentous changes fostered
What Are by the Industrial Revolution of 1760s that the idea of
Reproductive Rights? granting women reproductive rights first surfaced. As
Reproductive rights comprise the right to decide timing increased numbers of women were employed in factories,
and spacing of children, the right to access to gynecol- where pregnancy and childbirth would have an adverse
ogical and contraceptive information, the freedom to effect on their employability, they turned to unreliable
choose from different birth control methods, and the birth control and unsafe abortion methods in an effort to
right to terminate a pregnancy if desired. It is an impor- control their fertility. In the United States and Great