Changing the Role of Women

When I was in high school, my art history teacher taught us about the Venus of Willendorf figurine of the Prehistoric era. There are many other Venus figurines that were characterized by similar features: wide hips, exaggerated breasts, etc. These qualities were supposed to highlight the prominent features of a woman that related to childbearing because that was seen as the role of women at that time.

Today, the role of women has greatly expanded. Women are continuously establishing themselves in areas outside of the home; however, gender-centered topics emphasize a lot of controversy over the topic of abortion. Though it is not a prevalent issue in other political societies such as Canada and Britain, its relevance in the U.S. does not seem to be lessening, due to the independently powerful Supreme Court, strong private medical professionals, weak political party elites, and a decentralized political system that allows issues to be revisited, and therefore, lacks a resolution, according to Drew Halfmann.

Abortion is one of these major issues, and many pro-life restrictions have been made on abortion efforts recently, which some pro-choice supporters accuse as the “war on women.” They are required to have a counselor involved in the process, allow for waiting time, schedule two visits, and access to clinics has also become more difficult.

There are many policies that affect these women, and they must also face a certain stigmatization that comes with abortion. Some view them as selfish for not putting their child’s needs above their own or other negative opinions because “good women” do not have abortions. Some who oppose abortion see it as a disruption to “women’s ‘natural’ ties to children and family,” which was so clearly illustrated in history by various Venus figurines. There is a lot of controversy around this topic that doesn’t seem to be losing any steam among politicians.