ABSTRACT
Calls to restrict gendered customs associated with minority communities – notably Muslim women’s veiling – often appeal to sexual equality, presumed to be closely intertwined with personal autonomy. Those who object to such restrictions also invoke women’s choice and freedom. These positions are undergirded by contrasting conceptions of autonomy: the former relies upon a substantive autonomy, while the latter is grounded in a procedural account of autonomy. Moving past this impasse requires a deliberative democratic approach. The author concludes that a minimalist version of procedural autonomy, supplemented by insights from relational-autonomy feminist thinkers, is best suited to a highly diverse liberal society.
