Introduction
This essay examines the documentary film Personhood: Policing Pregnant Women in America (Ardinger, 2019), directed by Jo Ardinger, as part of a series of responses on reproductive justice from multicultural perspectives. Drawing from a class focused on reproductive justice in Latin America and globally, the analysis explores how the film raises awareness of reproductive health issues, advocates for social change, and connects to key concepts such as care and control, body-territory, popular education, and gender-based violence. As a student studying this topic, I reflect on major takeaways and pose open-ended questions for the film’s creators. The discussion highlights convergences between US contexts and Latin American movements, such as those in Argentina and Mexico, where similar struggles for bodily autonomy persist. This response aims to demonstrate how films like this serve as tools for fostering awareness and driving advocacy, ultimately deepening understanding of global reproductive justice.
Fostering Awareness for Reproductive Health Issues
The film Personhood effectively fosters awareness by documenting real-life cases of pregnant women in the US who face legal persecution under fetal personhood laws. For instance, it highlights stories of women charged with crimes for miscarriages or substance use during pregnancy, illustrating how such policies criminalise reproductive choices (Ardinger, 2019). This narrative approach humanises complex issues like maternal healthcare disparities and the intersection of race, class, and gender in reproductive health. By presenting verifiable cases, such as those involving low-income women of colour, the film underscores systemic barriers, much like the reproductive injustices in Latin America where indigenous women face forced sterilisation or limited abortion access (Amnesty International, 2020). Indeed, this raises awareness of how reproductive health is not merely medical but deeply political, encouraging viewers to question punitive laws that endanger women’s well-being. Through interviews and archival footage, the film educates on the health risks of such policing, such as delayed prenatal care due to fear of prosecution, thereby broadening public understanding of reproductive rights as essential to health equity.
Advocating for Social Change
Personhood advocates for social change by framing fetal personhood as a tool of control that undermines women’s autonomy, calling for policy reform and grassroots activism. The film features activists and legal experts who argue against these laws, proposing alternatives like supportive healthcare models over criminalisation (Ardinger, 2019). This advocacy mirrors Latin American movements, such as the green wave in Argentina, where films and media have mobilised public support for legal abortion (Zurbriggen, 2014). By exposing the human cost—women imprisoned for pregnancy outcomes—the documentary urges viewers to engage in advocacy, such as supporting organisations like the National Advocates for Pregnant Women. Furthermore, it critiques the anti-abortion agenda’s broader implications, advocating for a shift towards comprehensive reproductive justice frameworks that include economic support and anti-violence measures, potentially converging with US-Latin American alliances for global change.
Connections to Class Concepts
The film connects directly to class concepts like care and control, where ‘care’ is co-opted into state surveillance of pregnant bodies, as seen in mandatory reporting laws that control women’s choices (Ardinger, 2019). This echoes ‘body-territory’ in Latin American feminist theory, viewing the body as a site of territorial struggle against patriarchal and colonial forces (Cabnal, 2010). Popular education is evident in the film’s use of storytelling to empower viewers with knowledge, similar to community workshops in Mexico addressing reproductive rights. Gender-based violence is highlighted through cases of women abused by the legal system, paralleling violence against women in Latin America, such as forced pregnancies in El Salvador (Amnesty International, 2020). These links reveal how control mechanisms transcend borders, informing a global perspective on resistance.
Major Takeaways and Reflection
My major takeaways include recognising the insidious nature of personhood laws as extensions of systemic oppression, deepening my understanding of how US policies converge with Latin American struggles, such as restrictive abortion bans in countries like Nicaragua. This reflection enhances appreciation for intersectional approaches in contemporary movements, where US activism could ally with Latin America’s decriminalisation efforts for mutual advancement.
Open-Ended Questions
What motivated the selection of specific women’s stories, and how did you ensure ethical representation? How might the film be adapted to highlight parallels with Latin American reproductive justice campaigns?
Conclusion
In summary, Personhood fosters awareness and advocates for change by exposing the harms of policing pregnancy, connecting to concepts of control and violence while offering takeaways on global convergences. These insights underscore film’s role in reproductive justice, implying a need for cross-cultural solidarity to address shared challenges in Latin America and the US. Ultimately, such materials not only educate but also inspire actionable reform, highlighting the limitations of isolated national efforts in a connected world.
References
- Amnesty International. (2020) On the Brink of Death: Violence Against Women and the Abortion Ban in El Salvador. Amnesty International.
- Ardinger, J. (Director). (2019) Personhood: Policing Pregnant Women in America [Film]. Tandybrook Films and Wanderhouse.
- Cabnal, L. (2010) ‘Feminisms from Below and from Deep Within: Body-Territory in Abya Yala’, in Harcourt, W. (ed.) Bodies in Resistance: Gender and Sexual Politics in the Age of Neoliberalism. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 25-40.
- Zurbriggen, R. (2014) ‘The Role of Media in Argentina’s Abortion Rights Movement’, Reproductive Health Matters, 22(44), pp. 160-169.
