Gender Equity for the 21st Century: The Imperative for Women to Control Their Bodies

Abstract

Have you heard the song Pussy Control? If not you might want to take a listen to it. Despite its shocking use of the taboo word pussy it is an incredibly empowering song. The illustrious if vulgar thought promulgates in a womans mind that she in fact and in deed is the owner of her destiny. Such ownership begins by understanding the weight and power she wields with a few small skin flaps south of her belly button. In large part she controls her life and the world when she truly owns her vagina and her sexual and reproductive health and well-being. Of course I reference she as every woman in every corner and curve of the world. At the XIV International AIDS Society Conference both Bill and Melinda Gates spoke passionately if not eloquently about the imperative of pussy control as it relates to HIV. Although neither used those words and they were in fact much more urbane in their presentations the idea is the same. Women of the world are ravaged by HIV infection. This is often because of the fact that they have no true ownership of their bodies of their health (reproductive physical mental or otherwise) or of their place in the world as competent dignified human members in a world community. They are deprived of a voice and socialized to be forgettable and thus do not receive legitimate consideration or respect of their needs concerns and power. Honest ownership by a woman of her body all of it and acknowledgement of such property rights is the beginning of the end of gender inequality and in some part of the spread of HIV. (excerpt)