"The state controlling a woman would mean denying her full autonomy and full equality"

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s statement emphasizes the fundamental connection between autonomy, equality, and the right of women to make decisions about their own bodies. By arguing that state control over women equates to a denial of autonomy and equality, Ginsburg points directly to issues such as reproductive rights, bodily integrity, and self-determination. When the government imposes constraints on what a woman can do with her own body, whether related to reproduction, healthcare choices, or personal relationships, it is asserting power over her most intimate and basic freedoms.

Autonomy is the right of individuals to self-govern, make decisions that best fit their own circumstances, and pursue their conception of a good life. If the state dictates whether a woman can have children, access an abortion, or seek specific medical procedures, it limits her ability to control her life and future. Such intervention sends a clear message that women are not trusted to make critical choices, implicitly relegating them to a subordinate status compared to men. Ginsburg viewed equality not as an abstract principle, but as a tangible reality achieved only when every person enjoys the same rights, options, and control over life’s most consequential affairs.

Throughout her career, Ginsburg championed the idea that laws and governmental power should not be used to reinforce historic inequalities or social roles that limit one sex or gender. Granting the state the authority to dictate women’s personal choices maintains a system where women are treated as second-class citizens. True equality requires that women have both the legal and practical capacity to make decisions governing their lives. The denial of this control blocks the realization of full personhood and democratic participation. In Ginsburg’s view, autonomy and equality are inseparable, and any form of state intervention in women’s autonomy perpetuates inequality.