Girls and Women Still Do Not Fully Enjoy the Right to Decide Over Their Own Bodies

Text: Former Finnish President Tarja Halonen Photo: Lasse Keltto

Here in Finland, it can be difficult to understand that in many parts of the world, a woman’s body and her bodily integrity are seen as the measure of her worth. This often leads families to monitor and control girls much more strictly than boys. If we want to strengthen women’s right to make decisions about their own bodies, we must first understand the scale of the issue.

When a girl has the opportunity to go to school and gain a profession that allows her to support herself or even her family, her sexuality is no longer the only measure of her value. I do not want to oversimplify the issue, but International Solidarity Foundation’s long term goal of protecting girls from female genital mutilation can be achieved more effectively by including information about girls’ educational opportunities in its projects. After all, most parents want what is best for their daughters.

Of course, there is still a long way to go before we achieve full gender equality. Even if a girl is spared female genital mutilation, her future is often shaped by rigid gender roles later in life. In patriarchal societies, women are primarily expected to become wives and mothers. This is already reflected in childhood, when girls are expected to take on far more household responsibilities than boys. When families face financial hardship, it is usually girls who are forced to leave school. The same unequal division of responsibilities continues into adulthood, for example in caring for elderly family members.

Within marriage, a woman’s bodily autonomy may also be challenged. In many countries, marital rape is still not prohibited by law. Access to contraception and family planning counselling is often limited. Women’s ability to decide whether to continue or terminate a pregnancy may be restricted through legislation or through administrative practices.

Education can offer a different path to the future. Instead of leaving school to care for household chores or younger siblings, or entering an arranged marriage, a girl could continue her education. In the best case, she can freely choose her profession and achieve financial independence.

In addition to the personal challenges described above, many countries lose significant economic opportunities by underestimating women’s potential. For many years, International Solidarity Foundation has made a substantial contribution to improving opportunities specifically for girls and women. This is not discrimination against boys. Rather, it accelerates progress towards gender equality and contributes to the development of society as a whole.

This work should certainly continue. At the same time, we should explore ways to involve boys and men as part of the solution.