Bodily autonomy is the basis of gender equality, and, above all, it is a fundamental right. The right to autonomy over our bodies means we should have the power and mediation to make choices without fear of violence or someone else making decisions for us. However, violence against women is an essential obstacle to the exercise of the right to bodily autonomy. Violence against women is used to control women’s lives, bodies, and sexuality by individuals, groups of men, patriarchal institutions, and states. Although violence against women and girls is more widespread in the private sphere – whether sexual, physical, psychological, or sexual abuse, as domestic violence – it also occurs in the public sphere (including but not limited to femicide, sexual and psychological harassment in the workplace, different forms of rape, the commodification of women’s bodies, trafficking in women and children, prostitution, pornography, slavery, forced sterilization, lesbophobia, denial of safe abortion and reproductive options and self-determination, etc.). Instead of staying in the private space dictated by patriarchal culture, women pay with their lives to work outside the home, go to school or university, ‘dare’ to live their sexuality openly, be left without options, to become prostitutes. In the context of the criminalization of social movements and protests, the repression of women activists who participate in the struggle often takes the form of sexual violence. Moreover, discrimination against women is exacerbated by the intersection of different forms of oppression: they are discriminated against not only because they are women but also because of their skin color, language, race, ethnicity, class (and financial status), religion, and sexuality.

   Violence against women has its roots in the patriarchal system and capitalism, which imposes the need to control, own and exploit women’s bodies, lives, and sexuality. Patriarchy is based on two principles: women belong to men (and therefore, women are in the service of men and can never say “no” to them) and the separation of women into categories: “saints” and “sinners.” As part of this system, violence punishes women who do not fit into the “saintly” role of good mothers and wives. For example, it is common for men to justify verbally or physically attacking their partner Jul because their food is not ready or the clothes they want to wear are not clean. It is also punishment for those who are considered “sinful”; both attackers and societies justify sexual violence against women because they are ‘alone outside at night’ or ‘they are lesbians and should be taught that they should be heterosexual.’ or ‘the clothes they were wearing were indecent.’ As part of the patriarchal culture, masculinity is associated with aggression, and young people are taught that being violent (and not showing emotion) leads to being a ‘real man,’ sometimes joining racist and sexist gangs. New forms of violence against young women, such as sexual harassment of school girls and group violence in schools, are becoming more common and visible daily. These forms of violence form the basis of sexist relationships and roles between young women and men, without any public discussion around these Deconstructing stereotypes.

 The right to autonomy over our bodies means we should have the power and mediation to make choices without fear of violence or someone else making decisions for us. About half of the women in the world cannot make their own decisions about their health, such as whether to use birth control or have sexual intercourse with a partner. A woman who controls her body is likelier to have power in other areas of her life. But when deprived of this power, they realize that it reinforces inequalities and perpetuates violence caused by gender discrimination, which is at the root of the problem. Crimes and practices that violate a woman’s bodily autonomy include “honor” killings, forced and early marriage, “virginity” tests, and female genital mutilation. Forced pregnancy or abortion also violates a woman’s power to make decisions concerning her body.

  The idea imposed by patriarchy – that women are the property of men – includes an economic aspect expressed in the merging of patriarchy with capitalism, which sets a sexual division of labor between women and men with ‘natural’ roles. In this way, women are considered free labor in the reproductive field, always ready for the care of others and all the work required. For this reason, there are two levels of female domination within patriarchal and capitalist systems: on the one hand, female labor is exploited, and on the other, violence is used to maintain male dominance. Therefore, we cannot discuss eliminating violence against women without calling for eliminating patriarchal, capitalist, and colonial systems. 

  Violence and misogyny against women are intensifying as the policies and actors of neoliberal globalization consolidate their dominance in the economy. Femicide increases as free trade agreements in America are promoted and put into effect (such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, where workplaces such as factories benefit from lax human resources and environmental regulations): a large number of Mexican women are killed, for example, crossing the United States border and through the border town of Ciudad Juarez. The attack on reproductive rights and health care is increasing as social services are privatized or budgets cut. Younger and younger girls are being kidnapped as the sex industry goes global. Women are raped in wars waged in the name of ‘spreading freedom, ‘and invasions are carried out by’ justified’ foreign forces (such as the US invasion of Afghanistan) to defend women’s rights.

How do we protect our right to bodily autonomy?

Bodily autonomy is the basis of gender equality, and, above all, it is a fundamental right. When women and girls have the knowledge, services, and tools to make decisions about their bodies and lives – without violence, discrimination, or oppression – they can chart their destinies and realize their full potential. Societies develop when women and girls are empowered to exercise their bodily autonomy. Nevertheless, many are still deprived of this fundamental right. Some violations are not opposed. Deep-rooted social and gender norms reinforce them. Indeed, some of the most persistent obstacles to bodily autonomy include harmful stereotypes and misconceptions about the rights of women and girls. Overcoming these will require a profound change in mindset and attitudes. It will require comprehensive sexuality education. And it will require laws that enable, rather than restrict, human rights. We need a grassroots movement that is irresistible. We human rights defenders to help us advocate for more significant progress and stem the regressive tide of political pushback sweeping across the globe.

  Many countries have laws and international conventions that “protect” women, such as CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women). Still, these are often not enough because they are not implemented or put into practice. Moreover, while these laws and conventions focus the issue of violence on women as if it were our problem to deal with – on the contrary, and as we saw above – we should question the role of men in violence and condemn the fact that violence is structural.

We recognize that punitive measures against perpetrators are necessary but insufficient to eliminate violence; they rarely reach women who do not fall into the middle-class, urban, white category in the countries where they exist. We must hold our states accountable, survivors of violence, trafficked women and children, and minority groups (women of color, belonging to a particular religion, etc.); we should demand public policies for rural, immigrant, and indigenous women. Actions are needed to prevent and prevent acts of violence before they happen. 

We also need to discuss the role of Governments and States. Today, the State is at the same time protective and oppressive, at the same time the bearer of general interests and the defender of privileges, but at the same time patriarchal and violent (against women, indigenous people, immigrants, and people of color ). Moreover, the same police who implement many of the policies we demand are themselves the perpetrators of violence against women, the suppressors of social movements, and they are socially and racially biased. We are aware of the inherent contradiction of this situation because the truth is that for many women, the only way they can defend themselves against violence in their society and family is to rely on the State, which represents an external and superior force. On the contrary, the State we demand promotes freedoms and rights for everyone, intervenes in the economy, and is structured on forms of participatory democracy and control diversified by its citizens.