The Right to Fight for Your Life

For many decades, women have been fighting for their rights. In America and around the world, women have been fighting for the chance to vote, be seen as equals in the eyes of men, and work the same jobs for the exact same pay as their male counterparts. When it comes to health, women have worked tirelessly to raise awareness about and promote the well-being of females. However, in many regions of the developing world, women face even more rudimentary problems that can drastically affect their health such as poverty and discrimination. Because so many cultures/societies value men over women, female infanticide, inadequate food and medical care, physical abuse, genital mutilation, forced sex, and early childbirth are just some of the many factors that affect the health of women and can even result in their death. Many of these issues could be solved or prevented if women around the world were given equal opportunities.

In recent years, the major issues with women's rights in terms of health have been centered around the use of contraceptives and the legalization of abortion. For many developing nations, sexually transmitted diseases (such as HIV/AIDS) have lead to the deaths of millions of women. In many cases, these diseases could be prevented if birth control and other forms of contraceptives were more readily available. In Africa, one in 26 women will die of a maternity-related cause. This statistic is shocking and unacceptable.

Another major issue that has been one of the central legal battles of the 21st century is the ethical debate over abortion. In the United States, the court case Roe vs. Wade nullified abortion laws in all 50 states. And while abortion is still legally practiced in a few states, it is performed mostly in secrecy, with consequences severe enough for the medical professional to lose their right to practice or even send them  to prison. But the campaign to make abortion illegal everywhere only further undermines the rights of women. If women cannot choose how to take care of their own bodies or are prevented from making certain medical decisions because of the law, then the politicians need a serious make-over.

Every human being deserves to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Women, no matter how cultural, social, or religious barriers prevent/undermine them, should not be the exception.