Veeslee Mhepo
Across the world, the phrase “my body, my choice” has become a powerful rallying cry for bodily autonomy and gender equality. It reflects a fundamental human rights principle: that every individual has the right to make decisions about their own body, free from coercion. discrimination, and violence.
This principle is grounded in international human rights frameworks such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reinforced through agreements like the United Nations’s development and gender equality commitments.
Yet for millions of women and girls, particularly in deeply traditional societies, this principle is far more aspirational than practical. When it comes to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), cultural values often override individual rights, shaping decisions about contraception, marriage, childbearing, and access to health services. In these contexts, “my body, my choice” is less a lived reality and more a distant ideal.
Culture is not inherently oppressive. It provides identity, belonging, moral guidance, and social cohesion. In many communities, cultural values are seen as the foundation of family stability and social order. However, cultural norms are not neutral; they often reflect patriarchal systems that place women’s bodies at the center of social control.
In many societies:
- A woman’s value is tied to marriage and motherhood.
- Virginity before marriage is strictly policed for girls but rarely for boys.
- Fertility is considered a communal asset rather than an individual choice.
- Decisions about contraception are influenced or determined by husbands, in-laws, or religious leaders.
In such settings, a young woman who chooses to delay pregnancy, use contraception, or refuse sex within marriage may be seen as defying not just a partner but an entire cultural system.
In these contexts, women may internalize cultural expectations so deeply that they perceive compliance as voluntary, even when alternatives are socially or economically inaccessible.
