Autonomy is the ability or right to make your own decisions without being controlled by others. It can describe people, groups, or regions that govern themselves.
From Greek “autonomia,” from “auto-” meaning “self” and “nomos” meaning “law” or “rule.” It originally described cities or states that made their own laws.
Autonomy literally means “self-law,” which is a powerful way to think about freedom. It’s not just doing whatever you feel; it’s having the power to set your own rules and then live by them.
“Autonomy” has been central in debates about women’s legal, bodily, and economic self-determination, especially in suffrage, reproductive rights, and workplace equality. Historically, women and gender minorities were often denied full autonomy in law and custom, which shaped how the term is used in rights discourse.
Use “autonomy” consistently for all people and groups, not only for men or majority groups, and be explicit when referring to bodily or economic autonomy in gendered contexts.
Women’s movements worldwide have reframed autonomy as a universal right, advancing legal and social recognition of women’s control over their bodies, finances, and political choices.
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