The main goals of the Reproductive Health Bill are clear: Promote and push for ‘informed choices’ for every citizen on reproductive health, which would benefit especially women.
The RH bill seeks access to information and services between natural and modern family planning methods. Its purpose is for responsible parenthood and the protection of women’s rights.
It is erroneous to equate the passage of the Bill to pro-abortion or a degradation of morality. Neither does the use of contraceptives signal a departure from ‘virtuous behavior’.
Arguments such as these do not only cloud the discussions, they veer from the Bill’s intentions.
Religion and policy should be separate. We should be open instead to the full character of the proposed law —- as to close our minds from doing so will inhibit us from understanding what it requires, what is necessary to truly provide clear and prospective laws that benefit all citizens regardless of gender, religion, social strata, or political affiliation.
Moreover, we should not forget that maternal health is a basic human right which, in a country where maternal mortality is high, should not only be promoted but protected.
More importantly, the right to choose is fundamental as is the right to privacy and bodily integrity.
To impede or constrain reproductive choice is not only an attack on personal autonomy but also on the principle of equality for women.