International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Reimagining Bodily Autonomy: From Regulation to Sexual Liberation

Bodily autonomy, the fundamental right to have control over one’s own body, is central to human dignity and freedom. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." Yet, in practice, this right is often denied to marginalized genders, especially through the pervasive reality of sexual violence. Far from being isolated incidents, these acts of violence reflect deeply entrenched patriarchal structures that use control over women's bodies as a form of power. These structures, upheld by both societal norms and economic inequalities, operate unevenly across caste, class, and religious hierarchies, particularly in the Indian context. In such a framework, the societal and legal systems designed to address sexual violence often fail to interrogate the deeper structural inequalities that enable this violence. Instead of solely focusing on punitive measures, there is a pressing need to reexamine the institutions, cultural norms, and economic relations that perpetuate these inequalities. This paper critically examines the social and systemic dimensions through which bodily autonomy is structured, arguing that it is not merely a matter of personal violation but of embedded relations of power that also shape the politics of desire and intimacy. Sexual liberation, in this context, is understood not simply as freedom from violence, but as the transformation of the material and social conditions that enable individuals to exercise autonomy over their bodies, desires, and relationships. In doing so, the paper seeks to reframe autonomy as an ongoing and contested process, shaped by the interplay of social structures, economic relations, and the possibilities of reimagining liberation itself.