owned by the state
growing up, i recall hearing about roe v. wade for the first time in middle school. it was mentioned during one of those supreme court case lessons when we only scratched the surface of complicated legal history. to be honest, i didn't pay close attention at the time. i was considerably more concerned with what i was going to do after school than with comprehending the entire scope of historic legal fights. but even then, there was something in the air, a tension that seemed to encircle roe v. wade, which i couldn't quite identify. all i knew was that it was a widely debated issue everywhere. it was more than simply a historical instance in a textbook; it sparked debates and sometimes caused discomfort. a topic that revealed a fracture in society, a tension between rights and control.
as i got older, i began to understand the true weight of this case. it wasn’t just about the right to an abortion. it was a fight for something far more fundamental: autonomy, dignity, and the right to choose how to live our own lives. i began to realize that roe v. wade wasn’t just a u.s. issue—it was a war that spanned generations, a struggle fought long before i understood what an abortion even was. for women, it became a symbol of control over their bodies, their futures, and their place in the world. and it made me question how deeply embedded the idea is that women, for all our worth and strength, are still seen as second-class citizens, constantly measured against a standard built by men.
the world was not as simple as i once thought, and women’s autonomy was not something we could take for granted.
and yet, when i tuned in on the night of the 2024 election, watching the numbers tick up and down on my screen, notifications and messages from friends and relatives flooding in, i realized that there was one common thread throughout: fight. a fight for a better future, of having our voices heard and rights recognized, a fight for freedom—for women, for healthcare, for justice. a fight to dismantle the system built by men–used to exploit, silence, and oppress women. a fight for rebuilding a world that is more inclusive, equitable and compassionate.
a societal blind spot, where the concerns of men are prioritized and struggles of women are minimized. a reminder that gender biases continue to shape the ways we approach policy, healthcare, and justice.
but this battle is not confined to the borders of the united states. everywhere, from the streets of kabul to the city squares in riyadh, women face laws, customs, and expectations that strip them of their power and voice. in many countries, they are still seen as lesser, their worth defined by how they serve others. as mothers, wives, or daughters, but never as leaders, thinkers, or creators. from forced marriages to the criminalization of abortion, the body of a woman is seen as a commodity, to be controlled by the state, the church, the family, or any number of patriarchal forces. in some places, women’s very existence is seen as secondary, as if their lives are simply a backdrop to the stories written by men.
in afghanistan, since the taliban regained control in 2021, women have faced brutal restrictions, from being barred from attending secondary school to being denied the right to work outside the home. under the taliban’s rule, women’s lives are confined to a private sphere, their roles limited to caring for their families. the basic freedom to live as a full person, to have access to education, or to participate in the economy is denied to them. the lives of afghan women are dictated by a strict, patriarchal interpretation of sharia law, where their worth is largely measured by their ability to serve men and bear children, not by their intellect, creativity, or potential.
in countries like el salvador, abortion is illegal under any circumstances, even in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is at risk. women in these situations face horrifying choices: carry a pregnancy to term, even if it means risking their health and their lives, or seek illegal, unsafe abortions with the knowledge that they could face criminal prosecution if they are caught.
this devaluation of women’s lives and bodies is not limited to any one region; as it remains a global issue. the fight for women’s rights is a fight for humanity itself. it’s not just about ensuring women have the right to control their own bodies or to live free from violence and oppression. it’s about creating a world where every human, regardless of gender, is treated with dignity and has the freedom to pursue their fullest potential. the struggle for women’s equality is not isolated to one part of the world, and the consequences of what happens in one country affect us all. when women’s rights are attacked anywhere, the ripple effects are felt everywhere. it’s a global battle, and it’s one that we cannot afford to lose.
how are we supposed to move forward knowing that now, states get to decide whether or not we have control over our own bodies? how did we go back 50 years in history with the overturning of roe v. wade? how is it possible that in 2024, the rights of women are being left in the hands of state governments—some of which don’t care about our lives, our health, or our freedom? how are we supposed to trust a system that allows politicians to control something so deeply personal? what happened to the idea of progress, of equality, of basic human dignity? how did we let abortion rights become a political bargaining chip? how can we, in good conscience, allow the fate of millions of women’s lives to be decided by politicians?
once again, women’s rights are being debated as if we are nothing more than pawns in a political game—our bodies, our voices, our futures reduced to bargaining chips in the hands of those who do not see us as equals. this isn’t just an attack on women, it’s an attack on our humanity. whether it’s the fight for reproductive rights in the u.s, the struggle for autonomy in the streets of kabul, or the denial of basic freedoms in riyadh, the message is clear: women are still seen as lesser, still controlled, still subjugated to the patriarchal systems that refuse to let us live freely. but we are not powerless. the world will hear our voices, and we will keep fighting, because the future we deserve is one where our rights are never up for debate again.
