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KMID : 0904520130340010183
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Health and Medical Sociology
2013 Volume.34 No. 1 p.183 ~ p.210
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Reproductive Rights: Placing the Concept in a Historical and Political Context
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Ha Jung-Ok
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Abstract
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The concept of reproductive rights was confirmed in 1994 at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, and in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing. Since then the term has been widely used in diverse contexts: we read it in the official documents of international organizations and hear it in casual conversations among people. On the surface it appears that reproductive rights have gained the universal legitimacy and self-evidence of human rights. The terminology, however, is often used in a confusing way. For example, the proponents of the so-called “right to life” movement mention reproductive rights in their anti-abortion campaigns, claiming the term supports their aim to “protect” women"s health. The term has even been used to justify the buying and selling of the ovaries and uteruses of women in developing countries, a situation made possible by new reproductive technologies and the realization of reproductive rights at the buying end.
The purpose of this study is to de-familiarize the terminology “reproductive rights.” That is, instead of being viewed as a natural concept, the term will be dealt with as a historical and political construct. Women"s reproductive rights emerged in the 1990s, when the human rights regime was generally accepted in the arena of international politics. It has since fought its way against religious fundamentalism and evolved through interaction with population and development discourse. The road leading up to the recognition of women"s reproductive rights has been a long, hard one. Firstly, the history of human rights shows that women have always been the last group to win such rights. Secondly, reproductive rights issues have always been deemed particularly problematic due to their profound significance not just for family units and communities but for whole states.
After placing and examining the concept of reproductive rights in the contexts of history and politics, I conclude that the term “reproductive rights” refers not to a completed achievement, but to an unfinished, ongoing task. The notion of the concept established in the 1990s had its limitations in that it was confined to the population and development framework. What led to and eventually expanded the concrete contents of “reproductive rights” was not declarations or ratifications but constant struggle against unfair gender politics. For this reason, I assert that reproductive rights are still a “work in progress,” and that their true realization is dependent upon, first and foremost, bringing about significant change in actual, real-world politics.
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KEYWORD
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Reproductive right, Human right, Universal human right regime, 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development, 1995 the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing
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