Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, we have continued to see reproductive freedom taken away at the highest levels of government in the United States. There has been a ripple effect in Canada, as some members of parliament have become more outspoken about limiting access to reproductive health in this country. As we begin 2025, let us take a moment to look at the breadth of literature on reproductive rights. Much of this display features writings from and about the Canadian context, but there are topics ranging from Victorian Toronto to present-day Mexico and everything in between.
Some noteworthy works on the local history of reproductive health in McGill Libraries’ collection include: After Morgentaler : The politics of abortion in Canada, which examines the landmark 1988 decision of R. v. Morgentaler that struck down Canada’s abortion law; Shout your abortion, a hashtag that went viral in 2015 following the United States Congress’ attempt at defunding Planned Parenthood; and Portrait of a scandal: The abortion trial of Robert Notman, about the younger brother of Montreal’s noted photographer William Notman who arranged for a woman’s abortion. In consideration of how abortion has been utilized by both proponents for and critics of eugenics, we have also included works on the history of eugenics in Canada such as: Our Own Master Race Eugenics in Canada, 1885-1945 and In the public good : eugenics and law in Ontario.
Beyond abortion, another theme explored in the display is the timely and hotly debated topic of surrogacy. Surrogacy in Canada: Critical perspectives in law and policy addresses the health and well-being of surrogates, as well as the lack of surrogacy regulation in Québec. In My body, their baby : A progressive Christian vision for surrogacy, author Grace Y. Kao draws on her experience as a surrogate mother and assess the ethics of surrogacy through feminist and Christian lenses. Intimate strangers: Commercial surrogacy in Russia and Ukraine and the making of truth examines the transactional and financial nature behind some surrogate births and the impact it has on women’s bodies.
