The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate and the Commodification of Women: Parallels between the morality of abortion and embryonic stem cell research

Day: Friday, April 22   Hour: 4:30 - 5:00 pm

By: Marin Gillis

My aim in this paper is to demonstrate how human embryonic stem cell research may morally harm women. I argue that the harm is the potential exploitation of women and the products of their reproductive labour, i.e. human embryos and fetal tissue, through the commodification of women's bodily tissues and reproductive capacities.

I propose that the best way to disclose the specific harms to women in the human embryonic stem cell controversy is to look at the relationship between it and the abortion debate. There are parallels between the ethics of abortion and human stem cell research. I argue that there is one tempting way to maintain the parallels which does not foster the proper moral consideration of women in either the abortion debate or the human embryonic stem cell debate. However, I maintain that if we understand the abortion debate from women's perspective, we will be able to see the appropriate relationship between the abortion and stem cell debates. Further, unless we understand the abortion debate from women's perspective, not only will we miss important elements of the abortion debate, we will not have a good understanding of why it is that human embryonic stem cell research and therapy pose specific moral harms to women. <