The Struggle for Autonomy and Bodily Citizenship in Portugal

The article is based on the research of the Feminism and Citizenship project (FEMCIT) and contributes to the understanding of bodily citizenship, which has not been theorized in citizenship studies. Feminist scholarship has provided some leads, but this research makes the case for distinguishing a new separate and theoretical category of bodily citizenship, relating it to reproduction and health. The long-standing interest of national states in the vital order of society and ‘vital politics’ around health, reproduction practices, and rights about ‘life’ (Rose 2007) has posed and continues to pose, barriers and challenges to bodily integrity and women’s autonomy. The article traces the discursive and policy changes in abortion and prostitution law and policies in Portugal to determine the role of women’s movements in these changes. Findings demonstrate a clear issue-difference.  Feminist movements were crucial in establishing women’s right to an abortion in Portugal, but the divisions of women’s movement groups on prostitution and the contradictory discourses employed by them, proved detrimental on policy-advances on the prostitution issue. Finally, the article also draws a comparison with the other three cases within the overall project (Netherlands, Sweden, and Czech Republic). The comparative dimension shows that women’s movement groups, despite the considerable differences between these states, show remarkable commonalities in discourse, framing and political demands across borders, with autonomy and self-determination as key terms.