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Whenever capitalism gets into crisis, it’s women’s bodies on the line

From witch hunts to overturning Roe v Wade, violence against women is at the heart of our economic operating system

By Laura Basu
Whenever capitalism gets into crisis, it’s women’s bodies on the line
An abortion rights supporter holds a sign during a protest in New York after the United States Supreme Court ruled in the Dobbs v Women's Health Organization abortion case, overturning the landmark Roe v Wade abortion decision, in New York, U.S., June 24, 2022 | REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
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I’m 27 weeks pregnant. A couple of months ago I was having what lunch I could keep down with a friend – let’s call him Tim. We were talking about the overturning of abortion rights in the US.

Tim is a fairly liberal guy and believes abortion rights in the Netherlands, where we live, should stay as they are. But still, he thinks that someone needs to look out for the rights of the ‘unborn babies’.

“This foetus is part of my body and I should have autonomy over my own body,” I said, making the basic pro-choice argument. “It’s not part of your body, it’s in your body,” Tim replied.

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0