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The Importance Of Reproductive Rights

708 Words3 Pages
We live in a patriarchal society, where men dominate and women are expected to follow. Decisions regarding her life are still taken by men. Every aspect, be it clothing, education, relationships, marriage, behaviour, even inconsequential things like access to technology, eating patterns, etc. are all controlled by the apparently stronger sex. A woman has no right even on her own body. They lack basic reproductive freedom and still have to battle for autonomy of their bodies.
But what all constitutes reproductive rights, has been a topic of debate for some time. Is it merely the right to reproduce? Or is this issue linked to several other facets of women’s reproductive freedom?
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), reproductive rights are defined as,
Attaining the goals of sustainable, equitable development requires that individuals are able to exercise control over their sexual and reproductive lives. This includes the rights to:
• Reproductive health as a component of overall health, throughout the life cycle, for both men and women
• Reproductive decision-making, including voluntary choice in marriage, family formation and determination of the number, timing and spacing of one 's children and the right to have access to the information and means needed to exercise voluntary choice
• Equality and equity for men and women, to enable individuals to make free and informed choices in all spheres of life, free from discrimination based on gender
• Sexual and
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