Neo-liberal Development and Reproductive Health in India: The Making of the Personal and the Political

Abstract

This article seeks to explore the implications of neo-liberalism on women-centred reproductive health programmes, particularly in advancing their goals of political empowerment. The article develops a critique of reproduction and women as citizens of the public space in neo-liberal economies. It argues that the rhetoric of consumer freedom and high-quality services belie women's position as subjects of an economic growth-led society where reproduction is another resource to be harnessed for capitalism. Contrary to feminist intent, the public awareness of the ‘personal’ or the ‘reproductive’ does not necessarily lead to a concomitant enhancement of political aims.