“Why is abortion self-care?”
Published in The McGill Daily.
On unrestricted access to dignified abortion care on 30th anniversary of abortion decriminalization in Canada.
Mainstream conceptions of “self-care” often centre on consumerism, such as manicures and spa trips, which are far from the original meaning of the phrase. Black feminist theorist, Audre Lorde, originated the term in the context of “self-preservation” and survival for Black women. Marsha Jones, executive director of The Afiya Center, echoed Lorde when she spoke about the politics of care. The Afiya Center recently erected a billboard in Texas that read, “Black women take care of their families by taking care of themselves. Abortion is self-care.” Jones, holding up a copy of Radical Reproductive Justice to the audience, explained the urgency of the billboard and her social justice work: “Why is abortion self-care? Because it is life-saving. It means that one gets to live to see tomorrow. Because our lives matter.”
Image: Sofia Misenheimer
