Gender Inequality Reflected by Criminalizing Abortion

By Cindy

On June 24, 2022 local time, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the ruling in the “Roe v. Wade case”. The ruling of the Supreme Court will give states the power to enact abortion laws. It is expected that almost half of the States will declare abortion illegal or strictly restrict abortion.

This is a recent shocking news, which greatly arouses the protest of people all around the world. Obviously, in this case, the United State has completely ignored women’s freedom and authorities, flagrantly abolished women’s right to make decisions on their own bodies. As a member of women, I was greatly provoked to think about unequal treatment women have to face and unequal responsibilities that women have to shoulder in sexual relations. For profound investigations, I made some interviews.

“I have asked him to wear condoms, but he just refused to do so! He feels that contraceptive measures are only for women, and he is psychologically repelled by wearing condoms since he felt that he was separated by a barrier, which makes him feel very uncomfortable. His mind is full of male chauvinism. He thinks that a man may not be a man any more if he is sterilized, and he also believes that sterilization affects his sexual function.” These are sayings from a woman who has suffered a lot taking several times of abortion operation. Seeing from this interview, it is obvious that the main reason that may cause an accidental pregnancy is men’s rejection to take responsibility for contraception. In some way, our interviewee’s several times of abortion can be recognized as her husband’s fault, but this still cannot change the fact that it is the woman that have suffered the pain and damage of both physical and psychological. This has already been unfair, but if abortion was made illegal, things could be worse. She would have to give birth to babies compulsorily, and then struggle to raise them up. All these miseries and such a pathetic future would just be the cost of a man’s fault. Though the gender inequality in sex is inevitable for the fact that there are differences between a man’s and a woman’s body structure, but the inequality can be released by adequate sex education. To further understand the situation, I interviewed a doctor.

“September 26th is the Contraception Day, an international day of remembrance. Its goal is to create a world of ‘enjoying sexual welfare and safe contraception’. Contraception is the common responsibility of both parties in love, which should be shared by men and women. If you have decided to start a stable relationship, contraception is the first thing to consider. Studies show that currently, Chinese married couples choose various short-term or long-term contraceptive methods, according to their physical conditions, including ligation, intrauterine devices, contraceptives, condoms, etc. In the choice of birth control methods, IUD is more than 50%, which is the most important method of birth control adopted by married couples

in China. Correspondingly, male sterilization accounted for only 3.3% of the total number. Excluding condoms and others, the contraceptive methods that women bear the main risks and consume time, energy and money account for 78.1%. Therefore, learning scientific contraceptive methods and actively choosing their own contraceptive methods can keep away from accidental pregnancy and injury, and this is also the most solemn promise in love.”

After fully considering the case of criminalizing abortion and doing some research about the inequality in sex, I finally come to the conclusion that not only the government should shoulder their responsibilities to safeguard women’s reproductive rights, we women should also love ourselves and fight for equality by building healthy and safe sex relations.