Did you grow up thinking you had autonomy and control over your body?
Well, according to a proposed bill in Oklahoma in the U.S. that wants to force women to get permission from a sexual partner before they have an abortion, you've been mistaken.
And breathe, breathe…
Yesterday, the BBC reported that the Oklahoma House Public Health Committee has advanced a bill that requires women to obtain written consent from their partners before undergoing an abortion, after the proposal's author referred to pregnant women as 'hosts' and stated that their bodies don't belong to them.
Oklahoma state presentative and author Justin Humphrey told US website, The Intercept:
'I understand that they [women] feel like that is their body. I feel like it is a separate — what I call them is, is you're a 'host.' And you know when you enter into a relationship you're going to be that host and so, you know, if you pre-know that then take all precautions and don't get pregnant.
'So that's where I'm at. I'm like, hey, your body is your body and be responsible with it. But after you're irresponsible then don't claim, well, I can just go and do this with another body, when you're the host and you invited that in,' he added.
According to news website Common Dreams, on Tuesday the bill – known as HB 1441 – was approved by the committee five votes to two, and will now go to the full House for a vote, which is likely to happen later this year.
Unsurprisingly, the proposal has caused outrage among pro-choice, feminist and, well, right-minded individuals who are calling the bill a 'waste of taxpayer money' and 'demeaning' for women.
Amanda Allen from the Centre for Reproductive Rights (CRR) senior state legislative counsel, said: 'It is shameful that Oklahoma politicians advanced this measure, which is demeaning, patently unconstitutional, and puts women in abusive relationships at risk.
'We call on the Oklahoma legislature to reject this outrageous measure and trust women to make their own health care decisions.'
Meanwhile, Tamya Cox, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said the US Supreme Court already ruled against requirements to notify the father in 1992.
'Courts have said that states cannot create undue burdens and create unnecessary obstacles when it comes to a woman's right to access abortion,' she noted.
'To waste taxpayer dollars on bills like this does not represent what's best for Oklahomans,' she added.
The news echoes the anti-abortion movement within President Trump's administration, after his comments that women should be punished for having abortions and promised to elect Neil Grouch, to the Supreme Court – a man with a questionable views on abortion.
Unfortunately for women in Oklahoma, those seeing abortions must already undergo a 72-hour waiting period and counseling on a perceived link between abortion and breast cancer, despite there being no evidence to support this, according to the BBC.
The Associated Press reports that at least 11 anti-abortion bills have been introduced in Oklahoma this session, including one that refers to the procedure as first-degree murder.
Since 2011, Oklahoma has reportedly approved 20 regressive reproductive rights bills, making it one of the most anti-choice states in the US.
We can only hope that the Oklahoma's state representatives see sense when it comes to the final vote.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
