People rarely connect that phrase with the simple act of choosing what to wear or drinking alcohol or shaving body hair, but it should be a … Second-wave feminist activism has argued for reproductive rights and choice. [68], As part of the women's rights movement with the concept of "My body my choice", South Africans arranged photography and multimedia exhibitions. [20][21], Concept of My body, my choice (Mera jism meri marzi) was discussed in a March 2003 article in the Indian women's magazine, Femina. Anti-abortion protesters replied with "Have compassion on the little ones!" In Florida, some people are using the slogan “My body, my choice!” to protest a government requirement about wearing masks in public. We want a healthy body, nature and planet. My Body My Choice also explains the basics of reproductive health in an affirming, non-stigmatizing, and digestible way for young readers. My right to my body is constrained by your right to yours. “My body, my choice” gives everything needed to understand the position. and "Women Need Love, Not Abortion." [62] The slogan or "attitude" of "my body, my choice" has also been criticized by anti-abortion advocates as being an essentially "self-centered" choice. The pro-abortion marchers responded with slogans like "Pro-life, that's a lie, you don't care if women die", and "Not the church, not the state, women will decide their fate. We have all heard the endless sermons about respecting one’s identity, to the point where it became normalized to dress and parade a child as a drag queen , simply because we needed to respect that child’s individuality. The esoteric meaning attached to this rhetoric needs an academic insight to be comprehended. [28] It is a push for single women's equality in the workplace, where there is a large wage gap between men and women. [10] Mehr Tarar asserts that women's claim of rights over their own bodies and own choices is a God-given right strengthened by the finest of human values. This website is for people who support freedom and insist that noone decides over your body other than yourself. This contrasts to men's role as a moral agent, responsible for working or fighting in bloody wars. [61] The writer of the Quartz article, Gunjeet Sra, felt that the choices made only reflected those already approved by society. In this video, Kirsten Watson, wife of Superbowl Champion Benjamin Watson, explains how to respond to “My Body, My Choice” and reinforce the pro-life argument for the most vulnerable members of society. [30], In 2015, in the United States, the slogan was used as a hashtag, to indicate support for Planned Parenthood, which was in danger of losing government funding. [22], In March 2015 a short film, My Choice, as part of Vogue India's social awareness initiative. However, many abortion-choice advocates understand basic biology. Thus, "my body, my choice" does not include a right to attack your body by breaking your nose with my fist. This page is created to spread awareness and advocacy. Opposed to this, the problem can be fixed with the mentalities who think so. [63], 2018 UN Gender equality index indexes Zambia at 131 out of 162 countries. Elmoudjaweb - December 16, 2020. Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine Safe, Generates Immune Response. Capitalism, gaining strength in 17th- … "My body my, choice" is a slogan that is meant to represent the idea of personal bodily autonomy, bodily integrity and freedom of choice. It is a cry of individuality. For example, those who are against vaccination have used the slogan to express their right to refuse to be vaccinated or to vaccinate their children. [33] According to Ursula Barry throughout human history the bodily autonomy of women has been contested. My Rights, My Choice"; "My Body, My Choice"; "We Have the Right to Be Heard"; and "Before I'm a Woman, I'm a Human. But what about the bodily rights of the preborn baby? [10] Like men, women too need to have right to choose their religion or what they want to wear (or not wear) and that the message behind the slogan is very important. However, many abortion-choice advocates understand basic biology. The use of the slogan has caused different types of controversy in different countries and is often used as a rallying cry during protests and demonstrations and/or to bring attention to different feminist issues. But it’s NOT “your body or your choice” if you want to perform sexual acts for a living, inhale, ingest or inject “government unapproved” illicit drugs into your own body, or choose to not where a mask, or get a vaccine. [60][61] Quartz India criticized the film for being hypocritical, since Padukone was advocating choice, while still adhering to patriarchal standards in other movies she stars in. The women's health movement and lesbian feminism are also associated with this debate. So, I fight for the right of women to have safe and healthy choices regarding their bodies and their choice to give birth or not. “My body, my choice”: Inside Colorado’s growing anti-shutdown movement Frustration at the state’s restrictions boiled over last weekend The majority of those who are against this rhetoric don’t know the intrinsic meaning of ‘My body, my choice’. The phrase Mera Jism Meri Marzi, meaning My Body My Choice in Urdu and Hindi, has some variations too, like Meri zindagi, meri marzi (My life, my choice) meri zindagi mere faisale (My life, my decisions). [56] Writer Anjum Altaf says that critics' attempts to suggest alternative slogans to 'My body, my choice' don't realize that this amounts to mansplaining by subjecting feminist struggle to patriarchal approval what actually they are fighting against. [67] Booklist wrote that it "should be required reading for teens of every gender. Facebook. The Aurat March and slogans raised in Aurat March have defied the centuries-long rule of men and their hegemony. My choice. The system of patriarchy has kept women marginalized, oppressed and at a lower ebb in the decision making process regarding their lives. There’s simply no justification to hurting somebody else just because you’re involved with it. The cognition allied with this rhetoric also contends for a gender-equal world with the least gender discrimination. It is a cry of independence. Twitter. WhatsApp. [77], Variations and translations in other languages and geographies, Paragraph forked imported from Wikipedia article, African-American women's suffrage movement, International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25), International Conference on Population and Development, Sexual and reproductive health and rights, United Nations Commission on Population and Development, Xenotransplantation: Ethical, Legal, Economic, Social, Cultural, Personal Autonomy, the Private Sphere and Criminal Law, "Pakistani Women Are Proudly Declaring 'Mera Jism Meri Marzi' After Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar's Abusive Rant On TV", Background document for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) held at Nairobi summit in 2019, "Vatican cancels football match with Vienna over anti-abortion protests", "Hong Kong's fourth annual SlutWalk stands against sexual violence", "In Pictures: 'A long way to go' - over 100 people march in Hong Kong's annual SlutWalk against sexual assault", "Educating Childrens The Importance of Safety", "OP-ED: Our bodies, our selves – towards reproductive justice in South Africa", "My body, my mind, my choice: Deepika Padukone", "Deepika Padukone's 'empowering' video: Whose choice is it anyway? Consequently, power has been shifted from being balanced to one extreme. My Body My Choice. In a similar account, our society is the victim of patriarchy but still, many more can be seen engrossed in defending the traits of the patriarchal system. A preborn human is a complete, whole, distinct, separate, living organism. Therefore, the Aurat March and all the slogans related to this, struggle to make a gender-equal world, where the woman is considered as an equal human as that of man. Thursday, December 24, 2020. If MY body means MY choice, then what’s the deal with mask mandates? One exhibition named Voices and Choices, curated by director Mmabatho Montsho, presented abortion stories and experiences with the mediums of photography, graphics, art and videos. [27], When asked whether "my body, my choice" was priority for women of non-elite social classes, and whether "my life" might be better wording than "my body", Pakistani women's rights activist Marvi Sirmed retorted that "my body, my choice" is an issue relevant to Pakistani women across all classes, and that "'My body, my choice' means that no society can wage their wars at the expense of a woman's body. It is a cry of freedom. [65] Feminist Coven and Sistah Sistah Foundation have arranged women's rights Marches around the same themes with slogans like 'keep your policies off my body' to contest rape culture and raise their voices on issues like education and reproductive health to equal political and economic representation. [39], "My body, my choice" also intersects with class struggles, which are also concerned with "a refusal of biopolitical control and the assertion of the right to live self-directed lives autonomous of the demands of the powerful. “My body, my choice.” It’s one of the most common arguments used to defend abortion. TAKE THE PLEDGE [14], In 2011 Hong Kong started an anti slutshaming and anti victim blaming movement called slut walk. Positive cases in Georgia have risen about 35 percent compared to figures from two weeks prior. My body. Ensuring Uptake of Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. For example, women's bodies have been objectified throughout history through the changing ideologies of fashion, diet, exercise programs, cosmetic surgery, childbearing, etc. Our religion gives us the right to choose our life partner, so why not society? "[47] In 2014 Amnesty international campaigned with slogan "My body, my rights". My Body My Choice is a campaign to end stigma around abortion. Critics claim that the slogan fails to include the fetus as an entity that deserves a voice and a right to bodily autonomy as well. [71] The collection was inspired by fashion of the 1970s and included clothing bearing the words, "My body, my choice. Four state residents even filed a lawsuit claiming the mandate is violating their “personal liberty, and constitutional rights,” including their right to privacy. MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Hundreds of demonstrators marched to the Alabama Capitol on Sunday to protest the state's newly approved abortion ban, chanting "my body, my choice… The rhetoric discourages all kind of injustices in the form of; honor killing, acid attack, harassment of women at public places and offices, child rape, women labor in the form of childbirth, minor girls marriages to an aged man, forced child marriages, the Vani customs of giving girls to aggrieved family for ending disputes and that of domestic violence. "My body, my choice." They, in most cases, might be the victim of the structural violence of patriarchy but they consider any antagonism to the incumbent structures as social deviance. It is an enduring and politically charged set of words. Cerabino is not happy about it. They have decided that their way of behavior and understanding is final. Its 7th annual march in 2018 focused on the "My body, my choice" slogan, to raise awareness against "sexual, gender and body-based" violence prevalent in Hong Kong. Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Induced Adverse Reactions In “More Than Half” Of Trial Participants ", "Why 'My Choice' featuring Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone is not everyone's choice", "Deepika Padukone's video for Vogue is not empowering—it's hypocritical", "My Body My Choice: The Fight for Abortion Rights", "Gucci Collection Promotes Abortion Rights Amid Wave of Abortion Restrictions in U.S.", "Best to Get Flu Shot if You Plan on Being in Public", "How Masks Went From Don't-Wear to Must-Have During the Coronavirus Pandemic", "So you're having a boy. ‘My Body My Choice’ – Jaweb. We need to do is ask, “Whydo you consider the unborn child to be a part of the woman’s body?” The usual response is momentary hesitation, followed by one of three possible answers; 1. "Hundreds Protest Alabama Abortion Ban: 'My Body, My Choice! Maybe you have seen written responses to the “my body, my choice” statements which reflect what these figures point out; biologically, a preborn human is not the woman’s body or a part of her body. [11], Background document for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) held at Nairobi summit in 2019 sums up, 'state of complete physical, mental and social well-being in all aspects relating to sexuality and the reproductive system Good sexual and reproductive health' can only be termed to be 'Good sexual and reproductive health', to achieve the same, every person need to have a right to make decisions governing their body and to access services that support those rights. [19], Mera Jism Meri Marzi (Urdu: میرا جسم میری مرضی‎; Hindi: मेरा जिस्म मेरी मर्ज़ी; English: My body, my choice) is a feminist slogan used by feminists in Pakistan and India in context of women rights. The writer can be reached at [email protected], Home The race and class of a woman can determine whether her body will be treated as decoration and protected, which is associated with middle or upper-class women's bodies. Manhood and masculinity have remained in power for centuries. In this game of power politics, powerful decides the rules of the game. One of the alleged rape case, the victim in India phrased her argument in words Mera jism mera hai, mere employer ka khilona nahi (My body is mine, Not a toy to be played by my employer) [57] Najeeb states that opponents of the South Asian version of the slogan 'Mera Jism Meri Marzi' believe it is about promoting prostitution,[57] and asserts that the slogan is a declaration of women's independence and bodily freedom. “If it’s my body, then I get to punch the person next to me” is not an argument that sane people will find logical. The woman’s right to choose what she does with her body by either carrying a pregnancy to full term or terminating her pregnancy is always a hot topic in the political world. [24] My Choice not only refers to reproductive rights but also a range of women's rights issues relating to South Asian women, such as freedom to choose clothing, movement, love sex and marriage. 0. 4.25 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review) My Body My Choice is a book that needs to be placed in junior high and high schools all over the world, it’s that important especially in todays climate. The book covers the conflict over abortion around the world. Only two countries namely Philippines and Ukraine were found to be in forefront with 81% women could ensure sexual and reproductive autonomy for themselves. Mali, Niger and Senegal were in lowest list with only 7% women getting freedom to decide about their own bodies regarding sexual intercourse with their partner, contraception use and health care. The rhetoric has been used in symbolic terms. Moreover, the rhetoric is a conscious effort to offer to escape to women from all the injustices and inequalities being inflicted on them. Feminists usually defend an individual's right of self determination over their bodies for sexual, marriage and reproductive choices as rights. Winter vacations: Punjab schools, educational institutions to remain closed from Dec 25, Govt gives one week ultimatum to petrol smugglers to end practice, Punjab decides to sell, lease land to raise funds for mega projects, Court summons Achakzai for ‘inappropriate remarks’ in Lahore rally, POL import bill contracts 22.8% to $3.946 billion in five months, Efforts being made to facilitate workers registered under EOBI: Bukhari, Over 1,300 PIA employees agree to take early retirement under VSS scheme, Minister assures Sialkot business community of all-out govt help, FBR explains turnover from disposal of closing stock under FTR, Families of Italian Covid victims seek $122 million from government, Unilever expands partnership with Burger King to launch plant-based Whopper in Latin America, China, UK coronavirus variant likely detected in Hong Kong. [57] Proponents of the slogan claim that it is being misinterpreted and misunderstood by critics. [12] The document further elaborates that everyone has the right to make their own choices about their own sexual and reproductive health, which means that every one should be able to have a satisfying and safe sex life, the right to self-determination to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. A preborn human is a complete, whole, distinct, separate, living organism. If … This marginalized section of society feels that they have strategically kept impotent to be ruled. The initiative "call[s] for protecting and promoting women's rights to make decisions about their reproductive health, bodies and lives." The argument “my body, my choice” fails to recognize the baby is a separate human with their own body. [52] Both men and women from "hardline Islamist organizations", such as Jamiat Hafsa, have protested against the South Asian version of the slogan, 'Mera Jism Meri Marzi'. According to UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem, it is long way to go for all girls & women to have autonomy in decision making and means to govern their own bodies.[42][43]. [41][42], According to UNFPA's 2019 State of World Population Report, which could avail key information on status of Women's status of decision making role only for 51 countries; out of the countries where information was available only 57% women either married or in relationship could make decisions regarding sexual intercourse with their partner, contraception use and health care. To substantiate it, in the rural area of Pakistan, girls are forcefully married, without their consent, to the aggrieved family for compensation. [76], According to Kyle Munkittrick in Discover, "My body my choice" is a somatic right that can also be claimed by transhumanists. [34] The notion of the body (but not the mind) being associated with women[35] has served as a justification to deem women as property, objects, and exchangeable commodities (among men). If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. To comprehend this social injustice and inequality, feminists have raised many slogans including ‘My body, my choice’ to quell this structural inequality and injustice. The slogan has been used around the world and translated into many different languages. My Body My Choice. They provide the explanations of phenomena in the way as their interests are vested in. The rhetoric ‘My body, my soul’ is the expression of that. I know I would have … Compensation of what! [46] During the April 2004 march in Washington, D.C., a pro-abortion March raised slogans like "My Body Is Not Public Property! [10] According to Sondra Horton Fraleigh a woman's body is not determined by limitations but is a lived experience created through one's free-willed actions and choices in inter connected continuity with one's mind. "[71], Some uses of the slogan do not come from a feminist perspective, but still form a concept of bodily autonomy. [48] In Spanish it is translated as "Mi cuerpo es mío" ("My body is mine.") Anti-vaxxers Stole ‘My Body, My Choice’ from the Abortion Rights Movement. Many more simplistic slogans, in the previous Aurat Marches, have also been made controversial. [69][70], In 2019, Gucci debuted a fashion collection based on feminist social movements. MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Hundreds of demonstrators marched to the Alabama Capitol on Sunday to protest the state's newly approved abortion ban, chanting "my body, my choice… ........Learn more #MyBodyMyChoice is a partner-driven social and community media campaign that aims to break the silence and end the stigma around a critical sexual and Reproductive health issue: access to safe abortion. | Latest News & Updates at DNAIndia.com", "Aurat March of Pakistan: The decoding of Mera Jism Meri Marzi or My Body, My Choice". Here's what you need to know about infant circumcision", "Your Body, Your Choice: Fight for Your Somatic Rights", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=My_body,_my_choice&oldid=995696673, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 22 December 2020, at 11:49. In French it is "Mon corps, mon choix" (My body, my choice). [29], Emma Watson has worn T-shirts with the slogan, "my body, my choice" to bring attention to the need for funding of rape crisis centres in England and Wales. Conservatives are now crying "my body, my choice" over wearing masks to slow the spread of COVID-19 but keep fighting the pro-choice movement. But what about the bodily rights of the preborn baby? If it is presented so, it is because of the social fabrication. “My body, my choice” is a very popular phrase most commonly referred to when speaking about consent or abortion. Each of these slogans and rhetoric is nascent steps to restructure the societal patterns. [29] Erdogan has said, "They say it is my body, my choice. The rhetoric stands for manifesting equal rights and freedom in true spirit. Lead Stories The st… and women's rights like access to birth control, abortion, and reproductive health are attacked. [1] Bodily integrity is the inviolability of the physical body and emphasizes the importance of personal autonomy, self-ownership, and the self-determination of human beings over their own bodies. "[67], Author Jess McCabe introduces a glossary of concepts related to the slogan 'My body my choice' which includes Abortion, Bodily autonomy, Contraception, First nations, Forcible sterilization, Gendered, Heteronormativity, Institutionalized culture, LGBTQI, Prenatal testing, Pro-choice, Reproductive justice, Selective abortion, Sex positive feminism, Sexual consent, Social model of disability, Social mores, Social justice; in her book 30-Second Feminism: 50 Key Ideas, Events, and Protests, Each Explained in half a minute. 27. [59] Rameeza Ahmad states that women everywhere have to face huge patriarchal injustices against their own bodies. There are many “pro-life” arguments and I put pro-life in quotations because I don’t believe that the people who call themselves that are really pro-life at all, I think they’re pro-birth which is completely different. [10] Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner writes that while it seems simple that women's freedom is linked to women's own control and decisions about their own bodies, in practice the slogan of 'My body, my choice' is too often changed to mean of "not really your body, not really your choice." [37] According to Needa Kirmani this slogan disturbs those foundations of the patriarchy which controls and exploit women's bodies against their own will. The slogan ‘My body, my choice’ symbolically dares the inferiority of women and challenges the attribute concomitant to manhood. The slogan ‘My body, my choice’ symbolically dares the inferiority of women and challenges the attribute concomitant to manhood. This is a widely believed lie in our culture—a lie particularly fed by the abortion industry, and perpetuated by many in recent generations. We ask the men not to use our bodies for their ghairat or honor. [34] According to Barry, the right and access to abortion manifests one of the last struggles to achieve women's bodily autonomy. [38] Emma Fraser asserts that it is by a lack bodily autonomy society declines that women do have mind beyond their bodies and that amounts to cruelty with women. Men in Pakistan who support women's rights may not support the slogan itself. At no point do you need to consider the existence of a third party to follow the logic. In this video, Kirsten Watson, wife of Superbowl Champion Benjamin Watson, explains how to respond to “My Body, My Choice” and reinforce the pro-life argument for the most vulnerable members of society. We ask them to stop killing us in the name of honor and give us the right to say no because we have the right to say no to anything that we don't feel comfortable with. On 8 March 2020 Aurat March, many signs found a way to spin the main four words of Mera Jism Meri Marzi into statements like 'mera poster, tumhari marzi?' Your right to know My body, my choice is a feminist slogan used in several countries, most often surrounding issues of bodily autonomy and abortion. ", "It's Your Choice, Not Theirs! The rhetoric counters rationally the social construction that has negated equality between man and woman. But what about the bodily rights of the preborn baby? The comprehensive rhetoric that is being resounded actually shatters the corridors of oppression and slavery in which women have been chained. [66], My Body My Choice: The Fight for Abortion Rights was written by Robin Stevenson and published in 2019. My Body, My Choice is presenting a new exhibition on the real stories of abortion and reproductive justice. Company’s Financials [29] Protesters carried banners reading "My body, my choice" in response to the government's plans to limit abortion access in the country. Patriarchy has historically marginalized the women and pushed them towards the subaltern section of society. [25][26], The slogan Mera Jism Meri Marzi was popularized by the Aurat March in Pakistan which has been observed on International Women's Day. Latest News [28], In 2012, an abortion rights demonstration in the Kadiköy district in Istanbul drew 3,000 women. While discussing choices surrounding reproduction, bodily autonomy is about freedom of one's own choices. 'My body, my choice,' she wrote. This considered a fundamental right—irrespective of their sexuality, where they live, how much they earn, or their ethnicity. Feminists say this...No one has the right to abort a fetus in a body. ", When the 2015 viral short film, My Choice, starring Deepika Padukone, was released, it received a largely negative response on social media. “If it’s my body, then I get to punch the person next to me” is not an argument that sane people will find logical. Anita replies that she wants women to have choices; still there is another life once big enough to live outside the womb. [3][4][5][6][7] Freedom of choice describes an individual's opportunity and autonomy to perform an action selected from at least two available options, unconstrained by external parties. Terms & Conditions, Copyright © 2020 Daily Times Website Developed By Daily Times Developers. placards. Politics Coronavirus House of … My life, not yours",[44] "Keep your laws off my body",[45] and "My body my terms". Four state residents even filed a lawsuit claiming the mandate is violating their “personal liberty, and constitutional rights,” including their right to privacy. This extreme concentration of power has authorized men to decide the fate of girls and women regarding their life, education, life partner and patterns? Conservatives are now crying "my body, my choice" over wearing masks to slow the spread of COVID-19 but keep fighting the pro-choice movement. [9] In 2019, as the most restrictive abortion law in the United States was signed by Alabama governor, Kay Ivey, demonstrators used the slogan outside of the Alabama Capitol in protest. My body, my choice. (my poster, your choice? In June 2019, the Vatican City women's football team decided to withdraw from a football match with a Vienna-based Austrian women's football club, since Austrian women used the occasion to display the slogan "my body my rules" on their bodies, along with pro LGBT slogans as a mark of protest against the Catholic Church's position on abortion. Franz Fanon states in ‘Wretched of the Earth’ that the most difficult thing is to make the slave realize that one is slave. Share. The underlying principle is that if it is a woman's body, she should be the one to make choices about and have the agency to access the health support she needs, and take well-informed decisions in relation to her own body, health and life. Quite the contrary, it was the oppressors who forced ‘your body, your choice’ upon the oppressed. [9] It is also the opposite to treating women's bodies like property, and asserts the importance of a culture of consent. Investor Information [31], In 2017 Protest in Lusaka for Women's empowerment issues Zambian women marched with slogans like "My Body, My Sexuality. Even an arch portion of the society is not ready to comprehend the deep-down meaning attached to the rhetoric. Compensation of wrong done by man. “My body, my choice.” It’s one of the most common arguments used to defend abortion. So, the issue does not lie in the very nature of rhetoric and maxim scripted on placards. Every single slogan of Aurat March, including the aforesaid one, directs to shatter the already persisting hegemony of patriarchy. Some of the criticism of "My body, my choice" in South Asia comes from the radical right in Islam. My Body, My Country, My Choice December 23, 2020 Globally Refusing Vaccines: 75% Of Israelis Refusing To Get Vaccinated December 23, 2020 Democrats, Take Your Power-Hungry Demagogues And Shove It! [27], In South Korea, the slogan of "my body, my choice" has meant choosing whether or not to marry and to have children. ), making way for 'mera mazhab, meri marzi' (my religion, my choice) in an allusion to forced conversion, and 'mera wajood, meri marzi' (my existence, my choice). We must have the right to say that we can't tolerate sexual harassment and to say no to decisions regarding our marriages by other [family members].