Britney Spears' Conservatorship is a Feminist Issue

• 

"It wouldn't have happened if it were a man," asserts human rights attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, as she discusses the blatant sexism that derives from US laws governing Birntey Spears' life decisions. 

Popstar Britney Spears publicly condemns her father for the second time this month in attempts to put an end to the 13-year-long conservatorship, which disrupted her life, career, and health. 

In a court hearing on Wednesday, Britney asserted that she wants to press charges against her father under the banner of 'conservatorship abuse,' stressing that she is "extremely scared" of him. Britney demanded an investigation into Jamie Spears' human rights abuses as well as the enforcement of a restraining order. 

The conservatorship essentially controls the financial and personal freedom of the conservatee; however, the court hearing on Wednesday challenged this.

Since 2008, Samuel Ingham had been Britney's conservatorship attorney. However, after Britney's criticism of his representation last week, Ingham stepped down and resigned. Judge Brenda Penny, who is following up with the conservatorship case, allowed Spears to choose her own attorney, which was a step forward in reestablishing Britney's autonomy and rights. 

“They were always trying to make me feel like I’m crazy, which I’m not," she told Judge Penny, which projected a case of emotional abuse and gaslighting.

Britney speaks of wanting to marry and have a child with her boyfriend but lacks the freedom to remove the contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD) as the conservatorship forces her to take birth control pills. In fact, her conservators would not take her to the doctor to remove the IUD in the first place. 

A human rights attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, remarks on the matter: "Since the 1980s, it is constitutionally illegal to force people to take medications, it's like this woman lives in a law-free existence where no constitutional rights are given to her." 

"It's cruel, it's sexist; men are not treated in this way. We've seen male celebrities attempt suicide or have serious addiction problems, alcohol problems that lead to domestic violence problems, allegations of child abuse and they are not treated like this, not in the media, and certainly not in the courts. It's shocking, it's sad, it's scary and we should all be concerned," stresses Smith, who specializes in women and minority rights. 

Britney's case is one of many realities for women experiencing systemic discrimination and sexism in the US and around the world.