By: Goutami Ganachari
In the recent past, a
judgement shook the entire world, more so the lives of the women.
The judgement was many states in the United States banning abortion. A right, as necessary and as basic for a woman
was robbed away from them. Imagine snatching away something which is so
personal for any woman regarding her own body.
In spite of facing so much of backlash from across the globe, it still
didn't stop them from giving out orders on women's constitutional rights
by ruling out any possibilities of having a "choice". This judgement
will forever remain as a black mark in the history of US with so much of
blood on their hands.
To put it in historic perspective, abortion wasn't illegal in the US. It protected women's rights to bodily
autonomy since the 1970s, but in 2022, instead of working more for the
safety of women, abortion was banned in several states. A right which
was legal since ages was suddenly taken away from its citizens in the
name of trying to "save" the lives of foetus born out of sexual
violation of a woman.
This makes us have no hopes for a woman to have a fair chance at life,
when the decision to keep or not keep the baby is already established by
men sitting in the authority.
The present is bleak as it is, the future of the women now looks doomed!
What was even more shocking was there were many who came in support of
this favour and thought the justice was upheld, which was essential for
democracy.
It was a grave injustice to all the women in the country.
So many anti-abortion protesters who were shouting how killing a baby
while still in the womb was a great sin, forgot all about unplanned
pregnancies, sexual assaults and rapes. What if the woman is unable to raise a child or is not capable of raising a child. What if a child is a burden on a woman, the mother. Will such a child contribute constructively to the society?
The world isn't just black and white, it has shades of grey too!
There
was more to right to abortion than it seemed. The trauma, pain, anguish,
agony that came up with it was all sidelined and blurred and
trivialized.
Women's rights were violated repeatedly, their cries were unheard, and
everyone around them dared not to utter a word and remain voiceless.
But what about our conscience? Or is it polluted too?