Reproductive rights

The article on the Huffington Post website gives a more recent look on the laws and practices regarding reproductive rights in the United States. When most of the United States is focused on the dichotomy of pro-choice and pro-life, I think it is positive to see journalists in the media bringing attention to all aspects of reproductive rights to women. The author even alludes to the fact that women of minority have a harder time then most when she mentions forced sterilization. Nancy Northrup urges that reproductive rights can’t be looked at solely as abortion, which is what politics are doing. This article also speaks about recent victories in attaining reproductive justice. Northup brings attention to the need of politics to be less about which side is winning the abortion war and more about the full set of problems women face. She makes a good point that women in such places like Mississippi and Texas, who have had more stringent laws about reproduction, do not have equal access to their fellow women in other states. This fact is helping to further the divide between women, when we should be working together to achieve our goals. Northup is looking at the issue through a reproductive rights and reproductive health lens. She speaks to the policies that have been made as well as to the programs and facilities needed for women to have full rights to reproduction. All week we’ve been talking about these terrible laws and provisions that have been made by states that diminish women’s rights. Northup ends her article with some hope by speaking to the small but positive strides we’ve been making. She talks about the Affordable Care act that will give women coverage on reproductive needs. She also speaks of a lift on abortion restrictions for military women in cases of incest or rape. While I believe it is very important to learn about all the injustices happening against women with regard to reproductive rights, it can at times be overwhelmingly dismal as a woman. I like this article because it gives women hope, which is vital in any fight for justice. If there was no hope, why would we even want to keep trying?



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-northup/fight-womens-productive-rights_b_2491011.html