Women's Rights vs the Religious Right

Every woman should have the right to regulate the number of children she bears. In some countries, this statement is indubitable, the resolution of a long fought women’s rights movement. Framing discussion about abortion around its perceived immorality is convenient for the pious among us, for Jamaicans are so-called religious people, whose knowledge of scripture will mandate their rejection of laws supporting a woman’s right to abort an embryo. This approach is retarding the women’s rights movement, in a sexist society where the patriarchal oppression of women is commonplace.

We speak superficially of gender equality, but Jamaica is far from the ideal. The high rates of sexual abuse, in the home and workplace, sexual assault and rape perpetuated against women speak volumes to the grave inequalities, which still prevail. Further, the degree to which our women are objectified, commodified, and de-humanized in popular culture, is a good measure of the slight with which many regard women. Concerning abortion, we continue to hear multifarious horror stories about women who regret having one, but few accounts of women who illegally aborted embryos, then went on to lead successful lives with children that have loving and emotionally stable parents.

A recent report published in the Gleaner says that 70 % of Jamaicans believe that women who become pregnant because of rape should not have an abortion. By propagating such impressive statistics, self-serving moralists seek to deny women the right to control their reproductive capacity. Jamaicans like to talk about ideals, so I am not surprised by the poll results, though they are highly suspect; most will speak out against abortion when prompted, and espouse their preference for adoption. In reality, many of these people would abort an embryo if their circumstances necessitated such action, and are unwilling to adopt a child into their family themselves, for adopted children are widely regarded as inferior to biological ones. Also, what percentage of the individuals polled were male? Begetting children is the marker of manhood in Jamaica, so I expect that Jamaican men should overwhelmingly oppose abortions, which detracts from their ersatz masculinity. This despite the reality that many cannot afford to take care of the multitude of children they lend their sperm to create.

Women’s rights must come from the people, but sadly, the momentum is lacking. Jamaican women deserve better, and the right to determine how many children they have is only one of the privileges they must be allowed. The anti-abortion lobbyists are puppets of a patriarchal oppressor, whose antiquated modus operandi should be rejected by the Jamaican government. 7/5/09

Aborting a Baby/ Terminating a Pregnancy

Yesterday, I had a very informative discussion with two female friends about 'abortion'. Let me share some of the things we discussed.

For too long women did not have a chance to determine when they had children, and how many children they had to care for. They got pregnant, and then they were housewives- slaves of a patriarchal system of oppression. Concurrent with this view, I believe that a woman who desires to terminate a pregnancy she should be able to do so.

Now this is the scenario I was given: Mary has already terminated seven pregnancies. How can I give her a right to continue, when she clearly has no regard for the gifts of life she persistently throws away.

Now of the majority of women who terminate pregnancies, how many have already terminated seven? Birth control options are innumerable, and many sexually active people make use of them. Where the condom fails, the famed after-morning pill comes to the rescue. Still these options sometimes fail, and a woman finds herself pregnant with a child-to be that she cannot care adequately for. She decides to terminate the pregnancy, and I support HER decision. 

We must be careful to understand where we stand on such controversial matters. It can't be that we believe some things are wrong because that is what we were taught. 'Abortion' is morally wrong, we say. Yet in Jamaica, adoption isn't exactly romanticized... the hypocrisy kills me.

My friends spoke of the significance of the decision being made, and I asked them, why they felt the decision had a lot of weight. Women are tortured by their decision they say, without acknowledging that our stigmatization of the act is in large part what makes the decision sometimes difficult. Women who terminate pregnancies in Jamaica do not talk about it, and so they are constantly plagued by their decision. For women who regret their decision, I do not believe the main reasons is always their worry that they "destroyed" a form of "life". Child bearing is still such a big qualifier for female adulthood, and this is something than needs to change- it's the same thing for Jamaican men. The more children, the more manly.

I always say this- the fact that women can have children does not in itself preclude that they must. Only heaven knows how my life would fare if I decided to populate the earth with my seeds, like I have the capacity to do. This world is not fair, but there are things we can do to make it more so... Women are now able to work amongst men in most professions, but instead of helping them to achieve equality, their employment now serves to maintain their subjugation, as they must still work in the home as well. If we want to respect our women, open more adoption agencies, adopt children, open baby-care centers for newborns so that women can return to work after their pregnancies.

Use condoms. Do a vasectomy. Plan for your family. We wouldn't need to ponder the ethical complications of "abortions" if we were more responsible. 

The Church- Dictating Morality for Utopia

My mother regularly listens to Love 101 FM, on which I overheard a few sermons about the “moral evil” abortion. The church preposterously presents a moral argument against it, while clearly ignoring conspicuous reasons why such measures might be necessary. The embarrassing reality is that too many children are born out of wedlock, to undereducated and often unemployed mothers, and to negligent or absentee fathers. These women have little chance of escaping the unyielding claws of poverty and abuse, which their children almost invariably get trapped by in a most vicious cycle. Women facing such situations understandably decide to abort their unwanted embryos and legalization of such action would minimize the health risks they face in their resolve to abort their pregnancies regardless of prohibitive laws.

Admonitions to seek God and to live responsibly are simply not enough. Sadly, the world does NOT work this way. Jamaica needs practical solutions to a perpetual problem. The church views the legalization of abortion as the pinnacle of moral depravity and degradation, so it seems logical for them to be most proactive in facilitating possible solutions. How about church run daycares for mothers who desire to go to work or continue their education after having children they are not ready for? Further, Jamaica needs to invest heavily in social programs to keep at risk youth busy, so they will not fall prey to beguiling decadent lifestyles. I am tired of listening to self-righteous ignoramuses who refuse to recognize people as imperfect and deserving of forgiveness. The church should stop dictating morality if it is not able to offer tangible help to inevitably struggling mothers and children!

It is no surprise that criminals are often from women led, single parent households, which struggle to afford food and other basic necessities. My sister in repeating the popular sentiment that ‘di stuon we di bilda rifuuz aafn bikom di ed kaanastuon,’ added an interesting twist: ‘bot somtaim dat siem stuon kom fi mash di uol bildin dong!’ In the absence of a host of crucial support services for unwanted children and their often vulnerable mothers, abortion SHOULD be legalized. I say ENOUGH blabbering from the church! In the face of truculent criminality and social ills, Jamaica needs less talk and more action!