Nothing will ever be the same as before: current dimensions of care for women’s bodiesAmong the changes in women’s social status that took place in the 20th century, one of the most important refers to maternity. It ceased to be an obligation or a social dictate and became a choice: to have children if, when and how one chooses.
It is clear that the redefinition of motherhood, of women’s place in the world and even of their bodies - now both as productive as they are reproductive - are not linear processes or without contradictions1. The inclusion of women in the dynamics of production and consumption of goods, a process closely related to the control of their ability to procreate, does not necessarily represent their recognition as free and autonomous subjects. And even the appreciation of their reproductive function is still fragile. This is because changes in mentality do not occur at the same pace and speed as changes in everyday life, which are driven by political and market interference. Moreover, changing mentalities with a view to equal rights for women and men require tackling the other strands of inequality that intertwine in the scenario where each woman’s life unfolds.
Advances and setbacks, resistance and ambiguity are characteristics of the dynamics of societies, and are hidden by the participation, intentional or otherwise, of different social actors. Daily interactions and practices can reinforce or obscure women’s needs, producing a mosaic of demands and desires that is not always harmonious.
It is in this context that health and care practices in relation to women acquire special relevance. Taking care that the process of pregnancy and childbirth occurs with the minimum of risk and discomfort for them is, in a way, denaturalizing biological reproduction by giving it the social dimension that, in fact, circumscribes it. Or, to put it another way, it is to acknowledge that the possibility of choosing motherhood does not reduce its importance. On the contrary, it gives this choice a social value that may have been neglected in concepts of motherhood as the ultimate destiny and core purpose of women’s existence. Likewise, by identifying health problems that can compromise not only reproductive life, but also their health and well-being, it reaffirms their right to a dignified life2. And it recovers the sense of comprehensiveness in the care of their health.
The articles in this thematic issue offer readers an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of the health sector to the process of redefining the significance of motherhood and women’s bodies. Whether by pointing out the ambiguities in practices that end up reinforcing gender representations, ageism and ableism, or by pointing out the links between mental health and intimate partner violence in the gestational process. Without failing to point out how social inequalities, especially poverty and racism, affect women, it is stated, yet again, that medical technologies are not enough to achieve good health results. Broad policies are needed to address the inequities in which many of them live.
