From Choice to Capabilities: Abortion and Reproductive Justice

Hazal Atay and Hélène Périvier

Feminist Economics, 2025, vol. 31, issue 1, 121-142

Abstract: Choice has been foundational to movements supporting abortion rights. However, the focus on choice has been criticized by reproductive justice (RJ) movements, who advocate for a broader perspective encompassing the diversity and complexity of reproductive trajectories. The RJ framework contends that reproductive freedom requires addressing intersecting social and economic factors that impact individuals’ ability and resources to make choices. This article relocates the RJ framework in the field of economics and argues for leveraging insights from feminist economics, empirical research, and the capabilities approach (CA) to expand our understanding of abortion beyond an individual act and the moment of choice. Building on these insights, the article proposes that feminist economics can draw on the CA to deepen our understanding of the abortion choice in conjunction with different choice sets available (or not available) to individuals in their contexts, thereby providing a ground to integrate the RJ framework into economics.HIGHLIGHTS A reproductive justice lens views abortion beyond an act of choice, encompassing its socioeconomic determinants and outcomes.The capabilities approach provides a framework for incorporating RJ into economics.Feminist economics can mobilize empirical insights to contextualize reproductive choices and abortion advocacy for the RJ framework.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/13545701.2025.2458273

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