Right to choose

The term right to choose originates in women’s right to decide on their sexuality and their reproductive capacity. It is attributed to Beverly Wildung Harrison, a Presbyterian theologian and ethics specialists. In 1983, she wrote the book Our Right to Choose in Boston, it was during one of the most decisive moments of the abortion debate in the US. 

The book includes an ethical analysis of the history of the abortion debate. However, its most significant contribution is its argument regarding morality. She states that ’abortion is a moral issue and cannot, therefore, be resolved through historical or scientific observation. The fact that the fetus has a unique set of chromosomes since its conception is a significant scientific fact. However, the issue is how we assess this fact’. Harrison states that those assessments require not only scientific knowledge, but also ethical sensibility. 

This became a milestone in the fight for women’s rights. The adoption of the term associated to abortion spread among different types of feminists . As a result, the right to choose became one of their most important causes globally. 

Currently, it includes women’s decisions in all aspects of life. However, it refers fundamentally to the debate regarding the moral agency to make decisions on their reproduction, including legal and safe abortion. The right to choose concerns the entire population, especially teenagers and adolescents, regarding the use of contraceptive methods to enjoy a pleasant sex life, without shame, violence, or coercion.

Decision-making is one of the most essential human activities. Yet, it depends on the context and the possibilities available to each person; a person cannot decide on something that they cannot even imagine. The right to choose includes vital decisions, and it involves a complex and intimate process. For that reason, it requires external conditions that enable this process. That is: 

– An enabling legislation where laws protect people’s decisions, especially women.

– Evidenced-based information which enables informed consent.

– Accessibility to services related to decision-making. Accessibility refers to having the possibility of accessing these services, being able to pay for them, or obtaining them for free.

– Absence of discrimination and coercion.

The right to choose is closely tied to freedom of conscience, since this is the basis for moral agency and women’s autonomy over their body, sexuality, reproduction, and life.