Ectogenesis and gender‐based oppression: Resisting the ideal of assimilation

Abstract

In 'The 'tyranny of reproduction': Could ectogenesis further women's liberation?', Kathryn MacKay advances a defence of ectogenesis, i.e. the artificial gestation of human foetuses. MacKay grounds her arguments in favour of ectogenesis in its capacity to challenge 'the dominant conceptualization of child-bearing' and the 'roles and expectations' that have been modelled on this. 1 In challenging such a conceptualization and norms, argues MacKay, ectogenesis can alleviate or perhaps even bring gender-based oppression to an end. Moreover, ectogenesis has the advantage of

Non-essential treatment? Sub-fertility in the time of COVID-19 (and beyond)

“…It is my view that whilst social norms influence people's preferences and decisions to undergo fertility treatments, this does not mean that women or couples undergoing such treatments lack capacity to critically engage with these norms and formulate informed views concerning their preferred procreative projects (Cavaliere, 2020). In addition, I would resist the idea that the decision needs to be either fitting the schema or combatting its dominance.…”

The path toward ectogenesis: looking beyond the technical challenges

“…One of the most dominant ectogenesis related strands is the possible positive effect on women in terms of liberation from reproductive inequalities and the social inequalities built on the back of that [ 14 , 15 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 26 – 32 , 74 , 81 – 84 ] As analyzed by Cavaliere, this view consists of two separate, though closely connected arguments: the equality-promoting argument and the freedom-promoting argument [ 23 ].…”

“…There is, however, no clear ethical reason why ectogenesis cannot be used to achieve a non-medical goal if that goal is valuable and acceptable [ 81 , 86 ]. Yet, it is not evident that women’s exclusive role in the gestation of children is the origin of gender inequalities more generally [ 24 , 72 , 73 , 81 ]. If not pregnancy but other biological gender differences, gender roles and/or oppressive social structures are the problem, ectogenesis will not resolve gender inequality.…”

“…Arguments for the production of artificial uteri are also made under the heading of promoting reproductive freedom and equality among genders and sexual minorities [14,15,19,21,[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]. Further, it is often suggested that artificial uteri could reconcile not ending the life of the fetus with the pregnant person's autonomy to terminate pregnancy [15,25,[33][34][35][36][37][38].…”

Assisted gestative technologies, or on treating unlike cases alike

“…On the moral and political significance of these forms of labour, and their gendered nature in the context of UTx, gestational surrogacy and what I refer to as ‘ectogestation’, see Ref. 3:…”