From natural difference to equal value. The case of egg donation in Norway

The case of egg donation in Norway
By Marit Melhuus
English

This article addresses the interlacing of kinship and gender and the way these are inscribed in public-legal deliberations. Its point of departure is the current 2017 evaluation of the Biotechnology Act in Norway. The focus is on the regulation concerning egg donation (prohibited in Norway) and whether a reconfiguration of kinship necessarily implies a reconfiguration of gender. At issue is the tension between reproductive policies based on the natural difference between men and women, and social policies based on notions of gender equality. The author explores a discursive shift involving the properties of sperm and egg, and indicates a possible figuration of biological/reproductive and equality arguments within a more overarching framework.

Keywords

  • Kinship
  • Gender
  • Egg donation
  • State
  • Norway
Go to the article on Cairn-int.info