Abortion and Patriarchy

Patriarchy is and has been around and practiced without much acknowledgement. According to Bell Hooks she defines patriarchy as a "Political social system that insists that males are inherently dominating ,superior to everything, and everyone deemed weak, especially females, and endowed with the right to dominate and rule over the weak and to maintain that dominance through various forms of psychological terrorism and violence"(Hooks 18). The definition of patriarchy makes it seem that men are the only ones to blame for its existence, but in reality, women are the ones who also have a fair share in blame. When children are raised they are taught to behave and to react to certain situations based on their gender. Little girls are taught to be nurturers, servants, and weak, while boys are raised to be insensitive, dominant, and intelligent. This way of thinking is the foundation of most religions, where God is said to be male, therefore men behaving in a superior manner is the "natural way of life".
    Hooks states that, "We are socialized into this system, females as well as males. Most of us learned patriarchal attitudes in our family of origin, and they were usually taught to us by our mothers. These attitudes were reinforced in schools and religious institutions"( Hooks 23), which points out the fact that women automatically raise their sons in a patriarchal manner since that's how they were taught by their parents and grandparents. The problem with patriarchy is that it has been a cycle that has been repeated over and over, and it is finally time to break its chains by awareness and understanding in order to fix the issue. The topic of abortion is a perfect example of patriarchy being practiced. When women become pregnant, sometimes it is unwanted because of economic issues, and personal reasons that have nothing to do with anyone except the woman and physician. Although it seems logical to let such a personal manner be in the hands of the individual, some people believe otherwise and want to be in control of women and their bodies. By people I mean men.
     The supreme court is responsible for making abortions legal in the United States since 1970, but that right might be taken away soon because of a new supreme court member. This is frightful because a woman's right to get access to a safe abortion procedure might get taken away in an instant. And who is making that ultimate choice? A court ruled by men. The problem is not abortion itself, it is the constant need for the system ruled by men to have complete control over everything, and that includes dictating women's choices and rights. Luckily, there are groups of people who are pro choice and advocate for women's rights such as the artist Heather Ault. Ault has been standing up for women's reproductive freedom, and abortion care since 2009 by representing it in her art. Her work consists of historical acts through visual art, and interventions to inform people and reduce the stigma that comes with abortion. Her work comes from a personal and vulnerable place since she experienced actually having an abortion. Ault's exhibition is called "4,000 Years for Choice" and consists of these images below: