The author of the article “Decolonizing feminism: From reproductive abuse to reproductive justice” examines reproductive violence against Indigenous women in Canada. In particular, Stote ( 2017) investigates such phenomena as “forced sterilization, abusive abortions, and the promotion of birth control for population control ends” (p. 111). The author uses the decolonial and intersectional approach to consider the feminist movement as the basis for establishing reproductive justice from a historical perspective. The main purpose of the article is to describe how modern feminism can help eliminate reproductive violence for Indigenous women in Canada.
The main argument of the paper is that modern Western feminism needs to rethink the principles of struggle. In particular, Stote (2017) emphasizes that “our movements need to think bigger about what control over our bodies looks like and what steps are needed to achieve this” (p. 119). In particular, according to the author, the achievement of reproductive justice requires fundamental changes in society. The main factor in this regard is intersectionality, which should be the basis for the struggle for the rights of all women. At the moment, society and the movement of Western feminism do not sufficiently holistically consider the causes of existing threats, as well as the steps that need to be taken.
The author also pays special attention to the fact that Western feminism in its present form is not able to address the problems of indigenous women effectively. In particular, this is because the structure and attitudes of existing movements are based on the values and needs of Western society and settlers. However, modern society requires an intersectional approach that takes into account the needs of diverse populations. Thus, Stote (2017) emphasizes that decolonization must be the basis for establishing reproductive justice. This process requires a rethinking of the very principles of struggle, as well as the relationships between different parts of society.
The course and seminars were especially focused on the relationship of biological and social factors in the formation of women’s health. In this regard, the selected article reflects the themes discussed most fully. In particular, the paper describes how contemporary and historical socio-cultural aspects currently affect reproductive health. As part of the consideration of social aspects, it is also important that the article offers a critique of existing social systems, as well as potential ways to transform them.
The author of the article presents an extremely important argument about the need to change the consciousness and structure of society in order to achieve reproductive justice. In this regard, it would certainly be important to know what practical steps Stote (2017) considers to be critical in this process. In the article, the author describes the goals that cannot be achieved within the framework of the intersectional development towards decolonization. However, it is also important to assess how fundamental and long-lasting such changes may be in order to be able to assess their feasibility. Thus, from this author, it would be interesting to know what practical measures the researcher could propose to change the existing situation.
The topic of reproductive justice, especially for racial and ethnic minorities, is currently highly developed in the field of women’s health research. Hayes et al. (2020), in the article “Reproductive justice disrupted: Mass incarceration as a driver of reproductive oppression,” explore how incarceration violates the reproductive rights of women, in particular those of color. This article has similar themes to the selected reading as it also views existing social institutions and systems as violating women’s health and their right to choose. In particular, Stote (2017) viewed colonization and Western feminist movements as limiting opportunities for reproductive justice. Hayes et al. (2020), in turn, argues that contemporary institutional racism deprives women of their reproductive health choices. Thus, both articles view the existing social system as a threat to reproductive justice. Additionally, both articles argue that intersectionality and the interplay of social and structural factors play a key role in reproductive injustice.
The difference between these papers is that they focus on equity for different populations. Stote (2017) examines the situation of indigenous women in Canada, while Hayes et al. (2020) discuss Black women in the US. Additionally, Stote (2017) appeals primarily to the principles of the Western feminist movement, while Hayes et al. (2020) consider the need to transform the modern criminal justice system. However, in general, these articles offer complementary arguments that focus on the same aspects and arrive at similar conclusions. In particular, the authors of both papers cite colonialism and white supremacy as the main sources of existing reproductive injustice.
The problem of reproductive justice is rather narrowly discussed in modern society because it affects special groups of the population. In my opinion, the coverage of this topic is paramount in the debate about achieving better women’s health at the global level. Various types of reproductive violence that are common against racial and ethnic minorities undermine the foundations of a humanistic society. Modern movements must first of all pay attention to the restoration of fundamental rights for the various members of society.
References
Hayes, C. M., Sufrin, C., & Perritt, J. B. (2020). Reproductive justice disrupted: Mass incarceration as a driver of reproductive oppression. American Journal of Public Health, 110(1), 21-24. Web.
Stote, K. (2017). Decolonizing feminism: From reproductive abuse to reproductive justice. Atlantis, 38(1), 110-124.