Global Feminism

       Abortions are common everywhere. Abortion is an issue that evokes, on all sides, very strong feelings and judgments. The endless reasons on why different women around the world get an abortion would seem preposterous to some people. In fact, each country around the world has different views on the topic. Whether it’s, “Childhood experiences of divided families, financial problems, being too young, and an insecure partnership influenced the women's decision to have an abortion.” In my opinion, a cultural view could come into play as well. Most have reasons not to support a woman acquiring an abortion. As women from around the world migrate, their views on abortion may change. They go from believing one extreme to the next. Let us start our journey...
      Our first stop is in Thailand. “Thailand's current abortion law became effective in 1956. Under this legislation, a woman may obtain an abortion if there is substantial risk that continuation of the pregnancy would endanger the woman's health, or if the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest (Siriboon 1987). The term 'health' in these instances has been variously interpreted by physicians and health care personnel; generally speaking, it is defined in a strictly physical sense as endangerment to the woman's life (Rauyajin 1979; Population Council 1981).” Considering this information, I don’t see anyone acknowledging women and understanding any mental problems that they would face when having to raise a new born. Some mothers are not meant to look after children. Typical of countries where legal abortion services are seriously restricted, an underground system operates in Thailand whereby women seek illegal termination of their pregnancies (Simmons 1996). Evidence suggests that many Thais’ view abortion as a supplementary means of fertility control. Could this way of society be thought up by a man? Feminist are fighting the “mans society” with what is correct about abortions and what is incorrect.
      Continuing around the world, our next stop is Africa. "An estimated 36,000 young adults of school-going age die needlessly of unsafe abortion in Africa." I believe that this is because young girls ignore the issue of unsafe abortion or refuse address it. “The ideology of male superiority denies abortions as an important issue of status and frames the morality, legality and socio-cultural attitudes towards abortion. Patriarchy sculpts unequal gender power relationships and takes power away from women making decisions about their bodies” (Braam, 2004). Not only are women having unsafe abortions in Africa but it is also looked down upon to have a baby girl. Boys carry on the family name, and the girl costs the family a dowry when they are chosen to be married. Tons of pressure resides in Women of Africa. Many women are looking after multiple mouths to feed with little to no education, which means no job. With no skills to obtain a job, women will turn to selling themselves for money or even just a meal. Contraceptives are rarely used in Africa, which leads women to contract disease, like AIDS. As the African woman is “working”, the job might result in an unwanted pregnancy. Therefore, she turns to an illegal, but free way of abortion. The ways of illegal abortions in Africa are vulgar and are done in ways that wouldn’t even cross a doctor’s mind. For example, woman use a coat hanger, or the OD on anything they can get their hands on. Hoping they will be found and taken to the hospital in time to be saved.
      Next we stop in Egypt! “Feminist organizations working in Egypt face a variety of obstacles along with other organizations that work for human rights”. Egypt was the first Arab countries to endorse the convention on the elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women .Yet it did so with several serious reservations, “Induced Abortion inclusive penal code relate to abortion provide for a penalty of imprisonment of at least 3 up to 15 years with hard labour for any person who intentionally causes abortion through any form of violence. A penalty of imprisonment of up to three years is also prescribed for causing abortion through the provision of any pharmaceuticals or other methods” (mona, 1995). Considering this, I find it unbelievable. They say they brought in human rights, how is punishing a woman for knowing that she wouldn’t be able to give that child the life it deserved? In my opinion, as a woman I should know what I am capable of taking care of and where my body stands. Are contraceptives being used in Egypt more than other countries?
      Arriving next in Australia, we learn “Abortion in Australia is a subject of state law rather than national law. The grounds on which abortion is permitted in Australia vary from state to state. In every state, abortion is legal to protect the life and health of the woman, though each state has a different definition. There is no law anywhere in Australia that requires the notification or consent of a woman's sexual partner. There is also no enforced waiting period for an abortion.” Basic laws in Australia do not resemble the previous countries we have just looked at. I can see that Australia has arrived at 21st century and has realized that women have rights and in most cases know what is best for their bodies and their unborn child.
      Moving on to the United States now, “feminists believed that only the achievement of women's equality and freedom would end the need for abortion. They wrote that prevention was more important than punishment, and blamed circumstances, laws and the men they believed drove women to abortions.” When birth control became available they used this as another way of preventing abortions. Most of today's abortion rights organizations state that safe and effective birth control, adequate sex education, available health care, and the ability to support children are essentials to preventing the need for abortions. The United States has the highest teen pregnancy in the world. “Each year, two percent of women aged 15-44 have an abortion; half have had at least one previous abortion.”

From this I concluded that because the United States has such a high pregnancy rate, I can detect how the abortion rates are high as well. I am glad to see that the United States has gone as far as making sure women feel are safe during and after the procedure.
      For our last stop, we made the trip to Canada. Abortion is NOT a crime in Canada. In 1969, “The Criminal Code is amended to decriminalize abortions done by a doctor in a hospital after approval for the procedure has been given by a “therapeutic abortion committee” who judged that a woman’s life or health “would” or “would be likely” to be affected by continuation of pregnancy.” There was no legal obligation for doctors or hospitals to participate in abortion. “Within a couple of years, abortions are covered under the publicly funded health care system even though government ministers had reassured opponents it would not be.” Unbelievable to the time, in Canada a man is the first one to set up an abortion Clinique. In 1973, “Henry Morgentaler sets up an abortion clinic in Montreal contrary to law. He is arrested, charged, found innocent, decision appealed, found guilty. This happens three times. Finally the Quebec government stop[s] charging him and he continues to do abortions in Montreal.” In my opinion, this was a change for feminism. A man did what almost every feminist wanted to do. According to stats Canada, “A total of 96,815 induced abortions were performed on Canadian women in 2005, down 3.2 % from 100,039 in 2004. As a result, the induced abortion rate edged down from 14.6 abortions in 2004 for every 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, to 14.1 in 2005.” We can see that Canada statistics for abortions is very similar to the United States.
      In conclusion, it is clear that the United States, Canada and Australia share common laws about abortion. Also, feminism in these countries has gone further and accomplished more, in regards to abortion, then countries in Africa and Thailand. After an Illegal abortion, a woman can face many complications. Here are some examples, a moderate hemorrhage – 84.6%, severe hemorrhage – 13.6%, Shock – 5.2%, Trauma – 0.7%, and Infection 5%. In my opinion, I believe that feminism in some countries needs to be more active. When women migrate, let’s say from Africa to Canada, and the woman has an unwanted pregnancy, she may resort back to how she would have accomplished it in Africa. She wouldn’t have known that in Canada the laws are different. Here abortion is not a crime. The woman from Africa could then lose her life using the only method she knows, when she could have used a free clinic to safely have her abortion. I think that immigrants should learn the laws of the country when they arrive. This way they are not at risk of injuring themselves or worse.

- Samantha

References

Alex, Lena RNT, MSc (lecture), Hammarstrain MD, PHD (PRofesser). (2004). Woman’s
        experiences on abortion – feminist perspective: Scandinavian Journal of Caring
        Sciences. Vol. 18, issue 2. Pp. 160-8.

Braam, Tamara. (2004). Abortion in Africa: A Feminist Perspective: African Journal of
            Reproductive Health. Vol. 8, No. 1. Pp. 43-51.

Zclficar, Mona. (1995). Women in Development: A legal Study. Chapter 9. Pp. 83-4

Henshaw SK. (1998). Unintended Pregnancy in the United States Family: Planning Perspectives.
            30 (1): 24-9.

Guttmacher Institute. (2006). State Facts about Abortion: New York.
             >http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/safal/newyork.html

Induced Abortion Statistics. (2005). Retrieved from http://www.statscan.org.ca/

Thokozile Ruzvidzo. (2010). Keeping Our Promise: Addressing Unsafe Abortion in Africa. Retrieved from http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Keeping_Our_Promise_Addressing_Unsafe_Abortion_in_Africa.aspx