Bodily Autonomy: Why Motherhood as a Choice Should Be a Human Right
“Who am I trying to fool? I don’t want to be a mother.”
— Anonymous from Spain
Are you a mother? If yes, was it planned or unplanned? How has motherhood affected your life? If not, has motherhood ever crossed your mind?
With Roe v. Wade being overturned, pregnant womb owners in the U.S. are being compelled to give birth without the right to choose abortion—losing access to one of the most effective birth control methods
While some people deeply desire to have children, it’s imperative to acknowledge that not everyone feels that way and establish systems and laws that reflect mutual respect for this choice. Wanting kids is not indicative of being a better or more complete person.
https://twitter.com/JessicaValenti/status/1600146924316729345
“I hate my reality, the life I didn’t choose to have. Where is that anti-abortion religious education teacher now? Is she going to take care of my child? My ex said we had to face the consequences, so why doesn’t he pay child support? Why do I have to live with the guilt of my mother taking care of her so I can study? It’s really hard for me, because an unwanted pregnancy doesn’t last nine months–it lasts a lifetime.”
— Anonymous from Spain
“Getting pregnant was the worst thing that could have happened to me.
Abortion was the first thing that came to my mind.”
— Anonymous from Mexico
“Since my kids were born, I feel like I don’t have a purpose in life any more. Who am I? What am I doing here? Where am I going? My kids have become my absolute priority – their education, their daily needs, their health, their happiness – but what about me? I can’t find an answer, so I stopped asking myself what my dreams are.”
— Anonymous from Middle East
“Why didn’t my friends or my grandmother, who weren’t enthusiastic about motherhood,
warn me? Why didn’t anyone take off my rose-tinted spectacles before I became a mother?”
— Anonymous from Germany
There are countless stories like these of unwanted pregnancy and the ensuing financial and emotional struggle. Two questions come to mind: why does society continue to portray motherhood as the most desirable position in the world when it doesn’t reflect the whole picture? And why do fathers who avoid the responsibilities of parenthood get away with almost no consequences? If they can choose what to do with their future, why can’t mothers do the same?
