ABSTRACT
A key question thus arises for clinicians who wish to respect the autonomy of women: whether decisions that reflect the same priorities as their culture or ethnic group are truly autonomous. As practiced throughout the world, sex selection raises this question also for feminists who wish to promote gender justice while respecting cultural differences. The standpoint from which author develops this chapter is an egalitarian version of feminism—one that gives priority to equality as a social ideal. The ideal, she believe, can be best approximated by respecting differences in gender, race, ability, class, sexuality, culture, and ethnicity while insisting that the individuals who embody these differences are equal to one another. In this chapter, then, author addresses the dilemma of respect for autonomy versus respect for cultural values from the perspective of egalitarian feminism. The practice of sex selection, she maintain, is morally defensible so long as neither its intent nor its impact entails gender inequality or sexism.
