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The 2024 campaign amplifies the efforts of feminist grassroots groups to resist and counter the impacts of gender based violence by framing bodily autonomy as a fundamental human right. We define bodily autonomy as the freedom to express every thought, feeling, need, and desire through our bodies, each uniquely shaping who we are. It is the power to make choices about our physical selves in every dimension. Bodily autonomy is the most direct expression of personal freedom, as we experience and construct our identities through our embodied interactions. It is how we freely live, connect, and relate to others in society.
The campaign emphasizes bodily autonomy as the power and right to experience pleasure, self-expression, and self-determination—living and narrating one’s story through the body. Respect for bodily autonomy is often in tension with societal norms that are embedded in regulatory frameworks and oppressive cultural traditions and practices that use stereotypes, violence, stigma, and discrimination to limit our personal agency and even dictate the place we should occupy in society, thus reinforcing marginalization.
Grassroots organizers emphasize that bodily autonomy is deeply connected to broader values such as sovereignty, liberation, and self-determination, and intersects with a wide array of issues from trans rights to violence to healthcare access. They also acknowledge that economic and political barriers—like austerity and inflation—impede access to health and essential needs, particularly for marginalized groups, hindering bodily autonomy.
Organizers are encouraged to use campaign materials to spotlight these challenges, bridging the gap between individual bodily autonomy and the structural roots of inequality. By promoting flexibility and nuance in strategies and messages, the campaign unites social justice movements under a shared vision.
This campaign seeks to bridge the gap between individual autonomy and systemic inequality, advocating for bodily autonomy as essential to a just, inclusive society. By focusing on this right, we support individual agency while advancing gender equality and human rights universally. A global conversation promoting bodily autonomy is vital for creating an enabling environment where individuals have freedom and agency.
