ABSTRACT
The politicization of the issues related to life sciences increased together with scientific discoveries, namely concerning cloning and the potentiality of embryo stem cells in the late 1990s. The beginning of life was related to national identity and interpreted as a matter of individual rights, either that of women or of embryos. Framing the issue of the beginning of life has often been connected to the activation of the frames of identity, the defence of the rights of the embryo, and the boundaries between ethics and science. The dynamic of the debate shows a first phase of publicization and politicization, which led to the inclusion of the issues in the political parties' agenda and, later, in the parliamentary agenda. Feminist movements contributed to change the hegemonic frame and re-introduce women's rights as a point of reference for discussion of reproduction policies.
