I'm with you till here. Does it really matter the gender of the authority in question? I've seen signs & banners decrying male interference in issues of abortion, but really, if a group of female legislators seek to restrict access to abortion, or birth control, would women find that more acceptable? I wouldn't think so. Just as an all male legislature mandating universal circumcision would be no better.

Incidentally, I think one could argue that abortion in the past wasn't universally restricted. E.g., texts describe methods of terminating pregnancies in ancient Sanskrit, Greco-Roman & even Egyptian sources. In some instances there were restrictions (e.g. Assyrian women required husband's permission), but not always.

Still, great piece.