Change of Opinion
The first time the word “abortion” came to my attention was during a debate activity in high school. I was completely embarrassed because I did not know the meaning of the word. After my teacher gave me a rough explanation on abortion, I remember I chose to be against it. At the time, all I knew was that abortion is a method to kill a baby that has not fully developed, and I was totally against abortion, and my opinion did not change until today! I grew up in a town where gender equality seemed impossible. To my parents, my gender was seen as a disappointment because they had wanted a son. Sometimes within the Chinese community, people turn to abortion when they do not want to have a daughter. Because some use abortion for this purpose, I did not accept abortion when I was younger. However, after the plenary session today, I believe we have to take into account the many factors that cause pregnancy and respect all women’s decisions on abortion. In the past, I did not agree with the use of abortion within my community to avoid having female children. Now, I have grown to understand that within my community women are sometimes forced by their husbands to have abortions. With this in mind, I have come to see that culture and background influences peoples’ value of gender. Society should be more open on the subject of abortion and women should have rights and freedom to make any decisions for their health and bodies.