BBC HomeExplore the BBC

15 November 2009
Accessibility help
Text only
banner Religion & Ethics Ethics

BBC Homepage

Contact Us

Like this page?
Send it to a friend!

 

Women's rights arguments in favour of abortion

Women's rights arguments in favour of abortion

Here are some of the women's rights arguments in favour of abortion:

  • women have a moral right to decide what to do with their bodies
  • the right to abortion is vital for gender equality
  • the right to abortion is vital for individual women to achieve their full potential
  • banning abortion puts women at risk by forcing them to use illegal abortionists
  • the right to abortion should be part of a portfolio of pregnancy rights that enables women to make a truly free choice whether to end a pregnancy

This argument reminds us that even in the abortion debate we should regard the woman as a person and not just as a container for the foetus. We should therefore give great consideration to her rights and needs as well as those of the unborn.

Pro-choice women's rights activists do not take a casual or callous attitude to the foetus; the opposite is usually true, and most of them acknowledge that choosing an abortion is usually a case of choosing the least bad of several bad courses of action.



About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy