Past Events
- Institute of Ideas and SPIT LIT festival presents:
- Feminism in the age of genetics
- Venue: Upstairs at The Spitz, 109 Commercial Street, London E1
- Date: March 9, 2003
- Time: 3.30 - 5pm
In the 1970s feminists knew they supported 'A Woman's Right to Choose', but with the advance of science, things seem more complicated. A panel of writers, campaigners, journalists and academics will assess the impact on women's lives of the dramatic developments in reproductive technology over the past 30 years, and invite the audience to consider:
- Are new techniques a blessing, giving us greater reproductive choice? Or are they burdening women with moral dilemmas and making infertility something we obsessively try to beat, rather than accept and get on with our lives?
- Will 'egg freezing' help solve problems for women who want to put off having children, offering liberation for the 'Bridget Jones generation', or has science gone too far in allowing us to view procreation in such instrumental terms? Should prospective parents be allowed to choose the sex of their baby for non-medical reasons?
- The screening of embryos for genetic faults provides a solution to the problem of genetic disorders. But with ever-growing knowledge about our genetic make-up, the list of so-called defects is set to become longer. Will this generate more pressure on parents to do all they can to bear the 'perfect child', generating demand for 'designer babies'? Is abortion more prescribed than chosen where disability is detected in the fetus?
Speakers:
- Lisa Appignanesi
- novelist and writer. Books include: Losing The Dead: A Family Memoir, Sanctuary, and The Things We Do For Love, a fictional account of choosing between adoption and IVF.
- Agnes Fletcher
- disability rights activist, and contributor to Designer Babies: Where Should We Draw the Line?
- Ann Furedi
- Director of Communications, HFEA, (formerly Director of Communications British Pregnancy Advisory Service); contributor to Abortion: Whose Right?
- Josephine Quintavalle
- Pro-Life activist and contributor to Designer Babies: Where Should We Draw the Line?
Chaired by
- Ellie Lee
- Research Fellow, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Southampton; director, Pro-Choice Forum; series editor, Institute of Ideas' Debating Matters books.