by macgamer on Mon May 23, 2011 12:17 pm
Abortion, as know from past statements, I oppose, but selectively aborting children on a whim because a girl would be unwanted takes the disregard for human life to a nadir.
I have been aware of selective abortion in India and China for many years, but I thought considering the topic of feminism was in the air, it might be interesting to discuss the interaction between these two topics.
The extremes of the patriarchy seen in India and China where this practice takes place extensively, is a symptom of a differential value place on human life according to gender. Males are worth more, whereas women much less. Yes there are socio-economic and cultural factors at play here: the persistence of the dowry system in India and the one-child policy in China, mean that either women are considered a cost or where there is pressure any inbuilt bias towards males, these translate to a strengthened rejection of female children.
Surely this can be an issue for feminism? According a gender-dependent value to human life is an injustice This is an injustice to women, who in this scenario are the victims.
"Progress should mean that we are always changing the world to fit the vision, instead we are always changing the vision."
- G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1908