Lecture on Reproductive Rights and Political Control

Introduction

• In 2023, there's ongoing debate about control over bodily autonomy.
• Politicians and governments in Europe and the US enforce restrictions on reproductive rights.
• Discussion focuses on abortion's historical context and its role in society.

Current Global Context

• 25 million unsafe abortions yearly, with 40,000 deaths.
• Bans don't stop abortions; they make them unsafe.
• Historical practices for abortion in ancient societies.

Political Agenda

• Abortion rights are central to right-wing agendas.
• Links to socially conservative views on women's roles and eugenics.
• Historical parallels drawn with Nazi ideology.

Misleading Opposition

• Opposition to abortion rights not based on religion, morality, or baby welfare.
• Donald Trump's rollback of rights was transactional for votes.
• "Pro-life" movements often involved in violent actions against clinics.

Gender and Politics

• Not just a gender war; many women in far-right movements.
• Control extends beyond gender to politics, class, and ideology.
• The nuclear family is idealized in right-wing ideology.

Role of the Family

• Family seen as economic unit with minimal state intervention.
• Gender roles reinforced from a young age, with women as caregivers.
• Abortion challenges these roles and is stigmatized.

Far Right and Essentialism

• Extreme right views: men as warriors, women as child-bearers.
• Essentialist views of gender roles challenged by some.
• Opposition to 'gender ideology' unites some far-right and radical feminist groups.

Racial and Reproductive Policies

• Racist undertones in reproductive policies historically and currently.
• Great Replacement Theory used to promote native population growth over immigrants.
• Historical examples from the US and Hungary.

European Perspective

• Hungary, Poland, Italy focus on increasing native birth rates.
• Policies discourage immigrant births and sometimes outright bans on abortion.

Call to Action

• Emphasis on organized labor's role in defending abortion rights.
• Historical context of trade unions in abortion rights advocacy.
• Need for collective strength to fight for these rights.

Conclusion

• Recognition that societal change is not linear and rights can be revoked.
• Advocacy for permanent societal transformation.
• Women's oppression linked to societal organization, not biology.
• Struggle for reproductive rights seen as part of a broader vision for social change.