March 8 is International Women’s Day and women’s organizations around the world celebrate the day with song, dance and special festivities. Yet for many of the celebrants an entire group of women—the littlest of women thriving and growing in the womb—present a threat to their abortion agenda and are excluded from efforts to protect women and girls from violence .

              Many celebrations for International Women’s Day advocate for an end to the cycle of discrimination that impacts all aspects of the lives of women and girls, however, the cycle of discrimination will only be broken when the very first act of violence against a girl— identification and destruction in the womb through sex selection abortion—is eliminated around the world.

             The UN meeting on the Commission on the Status of Women is currently underway with the theme “elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls”.  The theme reflects a noble and necessary goal in a world plagued by violence and abuse directed at women. There will likely be intense debate at CSW between those who seek to protect girls in the womb from discrimination and violence and those who value access to abortion above life itself, even protection for the lives of millions of girls which will be ended through the violence of abortion.

            Broad agreement exists that girls need to be protected from all forms of violence and abuse and given the same opportunities as boys; girls should be able to attend school without fear of assault; collect firewood or water without fear of violence; and have access to health care and a nutritious diet.

            However, failure to recognize the value, worth and right to life of a baby girl from the first moment of her existence enables the inequality and discrimination to persist and leads to future acts of violence and abuse directed at women. The dire consequences of sex selective abortion—skewed sex ratios—create new social problems with grave implications for women’s future well-being and safety including increased sex trafficking and ‘slave wives’ in affected countries. Violence against women is perpetuated.

           In 2008 a campaign began in India to help end domestic violence against women. Bell Bajao (Ring the Bell) calls on men to help end violence against women by taking direct action to end violence when they hear it.  The campaign encourages men to literally ring the doorbell or knock on the door when a woman is being hurt within the home, in order to distract the abuser and hopefully end the immediate act of violence. The campaign includes teaching men and boys to have respect for women and “transforms brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers into advocates for women’s empowerment”.

          The campaign asks the question: Have you rung the bell—literally or figuratively—to interrupt domestic violence (or bullying, harassment, or other forms of abuse)? 

          If only there was a bell to ring to stop the death of infant girls in the womb from the violence of sex selective abortion. 

          If only husbands, fathers and mothers could be transformed into protectors of children in the womb, regardless of the child’s sex. 

          Then, the world would make great progress in preventing violence against women and girls, right from the start.

Actor Christian Bale—best known for his role as Batman— called forced abortion in China  “true horror” and praised Chen Guangcheng, the blind activist lawyer who exposed the brutal enforcement of China’s one-child policy, at a recent human rights gala. Chen, who documented China’s use of forced abortions and sterilizations, now lives in the United States with his wife and family after suffering years of imprisonment and beatings by the Chinese government.

Bale extolled Chen’s courage in fighting against the brutal enforcement of China’s one-child policy and expressed his own deep opposition to forced abortion:  “He [Chen] had exposed a program of forced abortion and sterilization in Shandong. A program of forced abortion means that women are being dragged from their homes against their will. They are being forced to have abortions, sometimes late-term – imagine that – with some women reportedly dying in the process. Now this is true horror. And in this insane world, this man, Chen, who was helping these women – who was living by some of the most simple, brave and universally admired values – values that we teach our children every day, and helping our fellow man – for this, this man was imprisoned and beaten for over four years.”

Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, celebrated both men. “Chen Guangcheng is a towering champion of human rights, who with incomparable courage, stood alone against the Chinese totalitarian regime.  The women of China and the world will long remember his bravery on their behalf. At the same time, Christian Bale has become a human rights champion in his own right. He risked his safety to visit Chen last December. His attack by Chinese thugs brought visibility to Chen’s case. This visibility greatly helped the international effort to free Chen. And Bale is brave to condemn the practice of forced abortion in China. Women’s Rights Without Frontiers salutes both men.”

March 21, 2012 marked the 7^th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day, which this year for the first time was celebrated at the United Nations (UN). Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and their families gathered to celebrate the 7 million people living worldwide with Down syndrome. This year’s theme “Building Our Future” highlighted the accomplishments and abilities of people with Down syndrome when they are treated with dignity and given the chance to be included in society. Individuals with DS testified to their own achievements in education, employment and integrating into society. All too often, these brave individuals are stigmatized and excluded based on pre-existing misconceptions. But once those barriers are broken down, they are accepted and appreciated for their unique talents and loving personalities. It could be said “To know them is to love them” but in the case of individuals with DS and those closest to them know is it more appropriate to say, “To know them is to be loved by them”.

One of the purposes of World Down Syndrome Day is so the world can meet and hear from DS individuals and their families. A speaker at the event noted, “That’s why it’s important to be everywhere,” so communities can see and value the contributions of individuals with DS. The event and a focus on real DS girls, boys, men and women and their lives and families is critically necessary as the number of abortions for unborn babies identified with Trisomy 21 continues to rise and parents feel pressured to abort their child out of fear for the future.

Last fall, researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston conducted a study into the quality of life of families and individuals affected by Down syndrome. They found the real life experience with Down syndrome is actually quite different than what is often preconceived—it is significantly positive. In one study, 79 percent of respondents said their outlook on life was more positive because of their child with Down syndrome. The study found the responses from parents, siblings and individuals with Down syndrome themselves to be overwhelmingly positive. “These results will be quite shocking to many Americans, who might have some misperceptions about what it means to have Down syndrome. Family members have spoken and have said life is positive with Down syndrome,” said Dr. Brian Skotko, the lead author of the study.

Misconceptions and stigma of the disability have played largely into a declining population of people with Down syndrome. Following advances in technology and prenatal testing, the rate of abortion for unborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome in the US is currently reported to be as much as 92 percent. This astounding number is expected to rise even higher as new noninvasive tests become available to detect developmental disabilities in babies at even earlier stages of pregnancy.

In 1958 French geneticist Dr. Jerome Lejeune discovered the cause of Down syndrome and began working to find a cure, fearing that these precious children would be aborted once their condition was know. His work also included ways to improve the health and lives of individuals with Down syndrome. Today the Jerome Lejeune Foundation has come to the U.S to raise funds for additional research into the condition that impacts over 400,000 individuals in the US.  Dr. Lejeune recognized the inherent dignity of each and every life right from the start and noted that the very first cell, the fertilized egg cell, is “the most specialized cell under the sun”.

The dangers of abortions for disabilities highlights the need for more positive awareness of the value and dignity of each person with Down syndrome, as was celebrated this World Down Syndrome Day. All children are deserving of life, including those created with a little something special.

Abortion is a topic that lawmakers and legislative bodies may be reluctant to discuss however the tide is turning in Canada. Canada’s House of Commons will begin to review a law based on a 400 year old definition of a human being. Tory MP Stephen Woodworth, will open debate on the point at which an unborn child becomes a human being this April. Woodworth was given one hour of debate in April and a second hour later this year. He seeks the creation of a committee of legislators to review Section 223 of the Criminal Code that states the child is “a human being . . . when it has completely proceeded, in a living state, from the body of its mother.” 

Woodworth is challenging the law as a private member since the government and his political party have insisted they will not reopen the abortion debate. Abortion on demand has been available in Canada since 1988. Woodworth rightly insists the debate is needed and argued, “If a child five minutes before birth can be defined as not a human being, then the question is who’s next?” Science and medicine have come a long way in the past 20 years, not to mention 400 years.  In the age of advanced ultra sound technology that provides a window to the womb and in-utero surgical procedures that treat the unborn child as a patient this debate is long overdue.

A campaign to liberalize Rwanda’s abortion laws has met strong opposition among religious leaders in the country. Health Development Initiative-Rwanda (HDI), an NGO that organizes and promotes community-based healthcare, has launched a campaign to overturn the current law which protects the unborn with strict exceptions for life and health of the mother. Leaders of the Muslim and Christian faith communities have voiced their concerns with the initiative calling abortion murder and a sin—unethical, inhumane and against the laws of God. “We are working against it. It’s murder because after fertilisation, the foetus is considered a child. It’s also against the Christian ethics and belief,” said Archbishop of Rwanda Anglican Church, Onesphore Rwaje. Pastor Bernard Bucyana of Christian Life Assemblies in Nyarutarama pointed to scientific evidence as proof that the fetus has life and shared his own experiences with post-abortive women suffering the psychological and emotional effects of abortion. The Catholic Church has also issued a statement expressing its opposition to abortion.

 In its push for decriminalization of abortion, HDI is using tired pro-abortion arguments that legal abortion saves women’s lives. History has documented the measures that have reduced maternal mortality in developed countries— access to pre and post-natal care, emergency obstetric care, assisted childbirth, safe blood, antibiotics, clean water and proper nutrition. Studies released last year showed the rates of maternal mortality going down around the world, with the lowest rates of deaths appearing in the countries with pro-life laws- Poland, Ireland and Chile. Nevertheless, HDI sponsored a workshop promoting the legalization of abortion as a way for Rwanda to reach maternal mortality and reach Millennium Development Goal 5, reduction in maternal mortality. Radical women’s rights groups, human rights groups and youth organizations have joined the pro-abortion campaign and its efforts to lobby both chambers of the Rwandan Parliament to legalize abortion.

A recent visitor to Johannesburg, the largest city in Africa, was shocked by the display of advertisements for abortion claiming ‘Quick same day abortion’, ‘Free Pain Abortion’ and ‘Abort Cheaply’. Abortion on demand for the first trimester is legal in South Africa resulting from the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996, the most liberal in Africa. The view expressed in opinion piece Abortion No Big Deal in The Citizen illustrates the glaring prominence of abortion in everyday life in South Africa, where abortion is advertised on street lamp posts, electric meter boxes and on the walls of stores. Abortion is practiced both legally and illegally.

Officially, abortion is permitted only by doctors and trained nurses yet many of these advertised services are for unlicensed abortionists, including those who claim to provide late-term abortions which are prohibited under the law. The abortion law was amended in 2008 to downscale requirements for where abortion may take place to allow the use of abortion inducing medications at home and shifts oversight of abortion regulations to the local level where governments are often poorly resourced. There is growing concern about the complications and deaths that have resulted from abortions as the maternal mortality rate has doubled since 1990. Despite the public displays promoting abortion services, abortion is still heavily debated and opposed in South Africa where religious beliefs and cherished African values respecting life from conception strongly motivate the pro-life movement.

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Global Outreach has researched and written on the rise in maternal deaths in South African since the legalization of abortion in How South Africa is failing women and children. South Africa is touted by pro-abortion activists as a model for pro-abortion legislation but this well documented paper brings to light the tragic truth of the impact of abortion on the lives of women in South Africa. “According to the 2010 South African Health Review (SAHR), 625 mothers died per 100,000 live births in 2007. This is up from 369 in 2001, and it is double the 1990 rate. The SAHR explains, ‘South Africa…is actually in the small group of countries where the MMR has increased since 1990’.”

It is clear that legalizing abortion does not save women’s lives. Access to life-affirming health care will save the lives of both mothers and children. While the legalization of abortion and rampant advertising in South Africa may give the impression that “abortion is no big deal” it is the “final deal” to thousands of South African women who died in abortion and to their children whose lives were ended.  Abortion is also the “deal gone bad” for countless women whose suffer the consequences of abortion everyday and regret their abortions.

The US House of Representatives has again shown its pro-life voice by passage of legislation banning the patenting of human beings. The language, which was signed into law by President Obama today as part of the America Invents Act, H.R. 1249, ensures that the US Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) does not issues patents for a human organism. Known as the Weldon amendment, the provision was first introduced by Rep. Dave Weldon to the FY04 Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations bill and has been passed in subsequent appropriations bills since. While the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has a policy banning the patenting of human beings at any stage of development, there were concerns the policy was vulnerable to changes or legal challenges as research on human embryos advanced.  The passage of the Weldon amendment into law codifies the USPTO provision, ensuring the legal protection of human beings at every stage of development. The Family Research Council lauded the passage of the provision: “Passage of the ban on patenting human organisms as part of patent reform is a huge victory for the idea that all human lives, even those of the youngest among us, are valuable and should not be viewed as property. The Patent Office had a policy of rejecting patents on human embryos, and in previous years the Weldon language helped give legal weight to that policy while some scientists wanted to gain a property right on genetically altered humans,” said president Tony Perkins.

Some things people living in developed countries take for granted, like a readily available toilet, but for 40 percent of the world’s population a toilet is simply unavailable as is adequate sanitation of any kind.  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is targeting sanitation and water in a new initiative to save lives and improve the health of the 2.6 billion people living without access to basic sanitation. 

Diseases related to a lack of sanitation account for half of all illnesses in developing countries and contribute to the deaths of 1.5 million annually from diarrheal disease. A spokesman for the Foundation explained that the initiative will target “policy and advocacy to ensure that the efforts in sanitation are guided towards people who are most underserved because we want to make sure that people who have unsafe sanitation are first on the list to receive approved sanitation.”  No invention in the past 200 years has done more to save lives and prevent disease that the toilet and related improvements in sanitation. 

Regrettably, past attempts to establish sanitation systems have failed and experts agree new technology is needed. The Gates Foundation is proposing innovative solutions to essentially “reinvent the toilet” in an affordable and sustainable way while working with local communities. Research includes innovative waterless toilets that do not require sewer connections or outside electricity and cost less than five cents a day as well as sanitation advances to capture, treat, and recycle human waste.

The Gates Foundation has previously been known for its work on vaccines, HIV/AIDS and malaria and most recently, maternal and child health. Last year the Foundation funded a landmark study that showed a significant drop in the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR), with the number of women dying for every 100,000 live births declining from 422 in 1980 to 320 in 1990.  The study cited the reasons for the improvement including improved nutrition, access to health care, education for women, and the use of skilled birth attendants, among others. Consequently, the Gates Foundation dedicated $1.5 billion to maternal and child health to focus on pre- and post-natal care, infant care and nutrition, and training for health care workers. Melinda Gates insists that the Foundation will not fund abortion stating, “…the foundation specifically doesn’t take a stance on abortion… we don’t want to be part of the controversy or stem that controversy.” 

If successful, this groundbreaking project of the Gates Foundation will result in healthier and happier lives and will contribute to greater security, privacy and dignity in their daily lives of billions of women and girls struggling to survive without adequate sanitation and water.

Former Member of the European Parliament from Ireland and international recording artist Dana Rosemary Scallon continues her pro-life advocacy outside the corridors of power by launching the first national children’s pro-life art competition in Ireland—Art4Life. The singer, known by many in the USA for her EWTN programs and for writing the inspirational song “We are One Body” says that the competition is a “wonderful opportunity for children to use their natural creativity to show their love for life.”

The competition is open to children under the age of 12. Those who wish to enter are asked to create and submit a piece of art including paintings, poems, or videos that demonstrate the theme “Why Life is Precious”. A total of eleven prizes will be awarded at the All-Ireland Rally for Life this July in Dublin. The rally is the largest pro-life event in Ireland that brings thousands- largely families- together for a celebration of life with music, face painting and family fun.

The Parliament of the Czech Republic is misinterpreting European law as it considers legislation to offer abortions to citizens from other European Union (EU) nations. The proposed law would include abortion in the interstate service provisions under which EU citizens are given less expensive rates, even though abortion is specifically not under the jurisdiction of the EU. 

The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has submitted a legal opinion to the Czech Republic Ministry of Health clarifying EU law: “No one should accept the falsehood that governments must offer abortions just because pro-abortion advocates want that to happen. Neither European nor international law requires the Czech Republic to offer abortions,” stated ADF Legal Counsel Roger Kiska.   

Despite the intense pressure and lobbying efforts of abortion advocates, a “right to abortion” does not exist in the EU, and EU Member States retain national sovereignty over abortion. ADF’s legal intervention serves to remind the Czech Republic and other EU countries that they alone have authority over laws governing abortion. 

In 2006, the Council of Europe explained, “The European Union treaties have not bestowed on the Community or the Union the competence whereby the Union could regulate on abortions. The Member States thus have the competence to regulate on this and ensure compliance in their territory with the laws that they pass. The EU cannot interfere in unsatisfactory states of affairs due to differences in the legislation of Member States when it comes to areas that are not within its competence.”