#plenary 1

[drcknowledgeandpower]

Plenary #1

Today’s plenary was an interesting one. The speaker didn’t speak overtly of feminism but it seemed, instead, to be a core value in her system of beliefs. It was prevalent when she talked about being assertive in an environment of mostly old, white men. It was apparent when she talked about understanding other cultures, both domestically and abroad, in places like Haiti and Bangladesh. I especially liked how she noted that there is no right or wrong answer, but rather that they are more complicated than what meets the eye, and that it’s important to continue to ask questions in order to get closer to the truth. As important to her as asking questions, it seemed, was empathy toward subjects with a degree of objectivity. She was engaging and interesting, and while not being a Feminist Speaker, I loved hearing what she had to say. 

[drcknowledgeandpower]

Abortion

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/magazine/the-dawn-of-the-post-clinic-abortion.html

I felt this article expanded my ideas on abortion a lot. There was a lot of information on abortion rights efforts overseas and how it compares to the movement in America. Rebecca Gomperts is the woman the article focuses on. She’s been helping women all over the world with safe abortions for years. I thought she had an interesting approach. Her first attempt was the result of legal loopholes that would allow her to sail a Dutch ship with an abortion clinic aboard to a country that did not allow abortions, take women on board the ship into international waters and perform the procedure there. Upon her arrival in Portugal, the ministry of defense sent 2 warships to stop the ship. However, she did not let that stop her, as she appeared on a talk show to educate women. From this, she realized the power of media and technology to give knowledge to people. Now she partners with an Indian drug exporter to ship mifepristone and misoprostol to women who have no other access to abortion. They have sent pills to Costa Rica, New Zealand, Chile, India, Poland, Pakistan, South Korea, and many more. 

One thing of note was that they do not send help to the United States, though women there can still access the information that is available on their website. The reason for this is that in the United States, women technically have access to safe and legal abortion. Though the United States as a whole is more progressive than many countries on that front, individual states have a lot of power over the choices and lives of women. Why should this be the case? From Miss Representation, I learned that only about 15% of politicians are women. How can we allow men, who have never and will never have to go through the agonizing decision of whether to abort, make decisions for women? When women are forced to carry through a pregnancy, this will affect their lives and the lives of their families. They may not be able to afford food or rent. The women may not be able to continue her studies. She may die from an illegal, misinformed abortion, or from childbirth. When men say that women must continue a pregnancy no matter the circumstance, they are saying that women’s choices do not matter, that women’s value lies in bearing children. As one woman wrote to Rebecca Gomberts said, “It’s magnificent what you’re doing, to help women realize their dreams for themselves.” 

[drcknowledgeandpower]

Abortion is not a bad word- Plenary 1

“Abortion. How many times have I said ‘abortion’ already in this speech?...It’s not a bad word. It’s a fundamental part of women’s reproductive health.” -Laura Pankins (paraphrased). I heard these words while, ironically, sitting in a chapel. A religious meeting ground where I usually envision people gathering to condemn such matters. However, today, the elevated ceilings rang with empowerment.

Are you pro-choice or pro-life? What about pro-women? Women making choices that’s right for themselves. The great thing about feminism is that whatever you believe, you have the right to express your opinions, morals, and actions without judgement. Pro-choice does not necessarily means pro-abortion. It means having the choice between keeping the child, giving it up for adoption, or having an abortion without judgement, guilt, or reprimand. Laura Pankins focused today on abortion, treating it as a health issue. Its enlightening to hear kind, reassuring words in a confident manner. Abortion is usually talked about in a tip-toe type fashion. You don’t hear people talking about it on the bus or over dinner or even in sexual health education classes. But why is something that 1 in 3 women experience kept such a secret to the general public? Women should not fear being criticized by their life choices. Society treats the topic as abortion similar to an abusive relationship. At first, talking about abortion in one setting or as a hypothetical situation seems fine. Actually considering an abortion or going to an abortion clinic is another story. Women find themselves being berated, intimidated, guilted, and even put in physical endangerment by both mean and women who don’t agree. Even if people don’t particularly agree that abortion is the right choice for them does not mean they get to exercise the right to harass, belittle, and endanger people with different opinions. In 2015 for god’s sake and yet people still act like animals. We can all express our opinions in a calm matter. But abortion isn’t an opinion that should designate legality, only personal decision.

-Alexa