Arguments against abortion

Women's rights arguments against abortion

Not all who support women's rights support abortion, and many of them are active in trying to promote practical solutions to the causes that drive women to abortion.

Some join other pro-life advocates and say that the right to life should always outweigh the right of an individual to equality or to control their own body.

But others raise arguments that are specifically related to women's rights:

Abortion does not free women

Some argue that abortion does not liberate women, but allows society not to cater to women's needs.

They say that what women need for equality is not free access to abortion but to be given what they need to survive financially and socially as mothers:

• inexpensive, readily available childcare
• a workplace or school that acknowledges the needs of mothers,
  • e.g. providing flexible scheduling and maternity leave,
• state support that helps to reintegrate a woman into the workforce

They say that if women couldn't have abortions so easily, governments would have to invest more money in supporting mothers.

Abortion sidesteps oppression of women

Others oppose abortion because it provides a way of side-stepping other real issues that should be addressed. One writer put it like this:

Abortion damages women

Some people oppose abortion because it can damage the long-term physical and emotional health of women who have an abortion.

Abortion violates feminist principles

Some feminists oppose all forms of violence, including abortion, because they are inconsistent with the core feminist principles of justice, non-violence and non-discrimination.

Abortion is a male plot

Yet another group object to abortion because they see it as a male plot. (In fact many of this group don't object to abortion; they want people to be aware that men often support abortion for a thoroughly bad reason.)

They argue that men see the risk of pregnancy as something that stops men having sex when they want it. If men are to achieve full sexual freedom (i.e. the freedom to have sex without responsibility) it is essential that abortion be freely available to backup contraception.

So abortion on demand is vital if men are to be able to have women on demand, and thus men are arguing for abortion so that they can continue to exploit women.

This was one of the reasons that 19th century feminists opposed abortion: they regarded it as a way for men to have sex with women without having to take responsibility for any resulting children by getting the women to risk their lives in what were then dangerous operations in order to prevent the child being born.

This point of view is cogently argued in chapter 3 of Right Wing Women by Andrea Dworkin, the relevant part of which is online.

Warning: this article includes strong sexual language.

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