HomeAbstract of 8th-womensconfThe Schneider Scale: Women’s Bodily Autonomy as A Barometer for The Health of Democratic Institutions

The Schneider Scale: Women’s Bodily Autonomy as A Barometer for The Health of Democratic Institutions

  • Mar 26, 2026
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Abstract Book of the 8th Global Conference on Women's Studies

Year: 2026

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The Schneider Scale: Women's Bodily Autonomy as A Barometer for The Health of Democratic Institutions

Kara Schneider

ABSTRACT:

This paper introduces The Schneider Scale, an innovative framework for evaluating the health of democratic institutions through the measurable dimension of women’s bodily autonomy. Drawing on historical, theoretical, and empirical analysis, it demonstrates that restrictions on reproductive rights, diminished representation in policymaking, and weakened protections against gender-based violence consistently correlate with—and often precede—broader democratic backsliding. Unlike existing tools such as Freedom House and V-Dem, which treat gender equity as a secondary or diffuse component of governance, the Schneider Scale positions bodily autonomy as a central diagnostic indicator of democratic resilience. The paper develops a weighted methodology for assessing three core indicators—access to contraception and abortion, women’s representation in political decision-making, and protections against gender-based violence—and applies the scale to comparative case studies including Sweden, the United States, and Afghanistan. The findings illustrate how the erosion or expansion of bodily autonomy functions as both a symptom and a catalyst of democratic decline or renewal. Addressing critiques related to cultural relativism, intersectionality, and causality, the paper argues that bodily autonomy is a universal democratic imperative and an actionable early-warning metric for policymakers, activists, and international organizations. By foregrounding women’s rights as fundamental to democratic governance, the Schneider Scale offers a rigorous, data-driven tool for diagnosing democratic health and guiding targeted interventions in diverse political contexts.

Keywords: Women’s Bodily Autonomy; Democratic Backsliding; Reproductive Rights; Gender-Based Violence; Democratic Resilience; Feminist Governance; Human Rights; Political Representation; Authoritarianism; Intersectionality; Democracy Metrics





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