The fourth episode of the EDI podcast features a conversation between Elena Caruso, post-doctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo, and Giuseppe Zago, EDI Officer at the EUI, on abortion care, reproductive rights, and abortion law.
In this episode, Elena and Giuseppe touch upon the topic of self-managed abortion, the legal and safety arguments surrounding abortion, and the ongoing debate between medicalisation and bodily autonomy. Furthermore, they explore future developments in abortion care access, focusing in particular on global moves towards decriminalisation and reproductive justice as a human rights framework that is attentive to the structural inequalities affecting women and pregnant people.
Elena also shares her personal journey as an activist and researcher, explaining the mutual connection between these identities. Reflecting on the passing of Italy’s abortion law in 1987, she examines the impact of social movements, specifically feminist mobilisation, on shaping legal reforms in the area of reproductive rights.
The episode further addresses the challenges of hyper-regulation in abortion care, where legal restrictions can lead to increased stigmatisation. Elena explains the gap between laws and their practical application in society, emphasising that "we cannot understand the law only in one moment of its existence, we have to think of it as a living subject always in the process of accumulating meaning."
Listen to the episode on:
SoundCloud, MixCloud, or YouTube.
Episode details:
Host: Giuseppe Zago, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the EUI
Guest: Elena Caruso, post-doctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo, fellow of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Programme at the University of Toronto, and former visiting fellow at the Department of Law of the EUI
This initiative was produced in collaboration with the EUI's researcher-led web radio, Radio Cavolo. Do you have a question about the podcast? Drop a line to [email protected].