Parliamentary Network E-News

Volume 10
No. 1
January, 2016
 
International Pressure for Abortion

Campaign for the Decriminalization of Abortion in Africa

A Campaign for the Decriminalization of Abortion in Africa was launched this month by the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR). The Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa, Commissioner Lucy Asuagbor, officially launched the campaign during the 8th African Union Gender Pre-Summit meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  The campaign is designed to be in junction with 2016 as "the Africa Year of Human Rights, in particular, with focus on the Rights of Women".

Commissioner Asuagbor's remarks raise questions about the legitimacy of the campaign and the Commission's actions initiating a continent-wide effort that conflicts with laws restricting abortion in most African countries:

"
In June 2013, Member States through a regional meeting of Ministers of Health and Gender and Senior Government Officials met under the auspices of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa in collaboration with the AU Commission, UNFPA and the UN Economic Commission for Africa. They deliberated on the status of maternal health in Africa and the impact of unsafe abortion and committed to: redouble efforts to improve provision of sexual and reproductive health services in line with existing international and regional commitments including the reform of national legislations as may be necessary; and expand access to family planning and other reproductive health services including safe abortion services."
 
Informed by the above commitment, in March 2015 the African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) issued a communique on accountability for women's reproductive health and rights. One of the commitments we made under the communique was to commence a continental campaign on decriminalization of abortion in Africa."

The commissioner mixed facts and fiction in her remarks in regards to maternal deaths grossly exaggerating that "Millions of girls and women in Africa are dying from consequences of unsafe abortion" and then quoting from a 2012 WHO survey that "over 47,000 women and girls died globally from the consequences of unsafe abortion. 29,000 of these women, which is about 62% came from Sub-Saharan Africa alone."

The intent of the campaign is clear--overturn laws against abortion. According to
Asuagbor:"...the ACHPR hopes that the campaign will translate into actual implementation of Article 14 (2) (c) of the Maputo Protocol; and that States will take concrete action to remove legal and other barriers that prevent women and girls from realizing their sexual and reproductive health rights including access to safe abortion services."

Addressing the NGOs present for the launch the commissioner told them, "...we are because you are; therefore this campaign will only be successful if you, the organizations that are working with the people, integrate it into your programs and begin demanding change in your contexts."

An Ipas representative stated that the pro-abortion organization "is proud to partner with the ACHPR on this campaign and will continue to push for access to safe, legal abortion for women in Africa."

Ipas has played a significant role in advancing the culture of death in Africa and has enjoyed unseemly influence on the African Commission including helping to write the General Comment on the abortion article of the Maputo Protocol as previously reported by PNCI. 

Commissioner Asuagbor records Ipas' involvement with the Commission in her activity report listing a 3 day "retreat" that Ipas Africa Alliance sponsored with the theme "Abortion and Reducing Maternal Mortality in Africa-A Human Rights Approach" for Commissioners and the Secretariat of the ACHPR in December 2010. The retreat was a complete immersion in pro-abortion arguments with the commissioner stating that "we were trained".
The training included on the following topics: The Status of Abortion Laws in African Countries and their implications for Health; Access to Safe Abortion in particular the Significance of the AU Protocol from Ratification to Implementation of the AU Protocol; holding Governments Accountable; review of abortion in UN human rights bodies; Monitoring of State Compliance with the Protocol and Maputo Plan of Action; Member States' periodic reports to the African Commission and the mechanism of shadow reports; advocacy Opportunities and Angles, possibilities of linking international human rights treaties (e.g., CEDAW, CCPR, CESCR, CRC and CAT) with the Protocol and the work of Special Rapporteurs; and the African Court, the possibilities it provides.

PNCI wonders if African governments realize that the pro-abortion policies being advanced by the African Commission are really coming from a US NGO that exists to overturn laws against abortion around the world.

Sierra Leone: Debate over Abortion Bill

A debate over the broad legalization of abortion has emerged in Sierra Leone, which has the world's highest maternal mortality rate, following the refusal by President Ernest Bai Koroma to sign a private Member's bill, the "Safe Abortion Bill 2015", passed by Parliament in December during a procedure that was not without controversy. The president, after meeting with Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL) sent the bill back to Parliament for reconsideration without his signature.
 
The Abortion Act would legalize abortion on demand for the first trimester and during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy would allow it when "the continued pregnancy would pose a risk of injury to the female's health; or there is a risk of fetal abnormality; or according to the pregnant female, the pregnancy resulted from rape, incest or other felonious intercourse."
 
US-based abortion advocate Ipas and its regional Ipas Africa Alliance have been actively working in Sierra Leone as was stated by its Sierra Leonean country manager: It has been a long road; we've been working on law reform efforts here for the last five years."
 
The bill facilitates the use of abortion-inducing drugs for "medical abortion". Abortion inducing pills are particularly dangerous for women who do not have access to health care as is the case in Sierra Leone as women can experience extreme blood loss and incomplete abortion requiring further treatment, blood transfusion, and surgery to complete the abortion and prevent or treat infection. 
 
The action by the president was unexpected; a number of pro-abortion organizations had already declared "the legalization of abortion in Sierra Leone" as one of their biggest wins in 2015. A pro-abortion petition organized by Ipas Africa Alliance, Solidarity for African Women's Rights Coalition (SOAWR) for which Equality Now is the secretariat, and FEMNET is underway calling on Parliament to legalize abortion.
 
A small group of "human rights experts" who hold positions at the United Nations and African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and have urged the president to sign the bill so it can be enacted.
 
Religious leaders in Sierra Leone are strongly united in opposition to the Abortion Act and have received public support. The IRCSL presented its case to the leadership of Parliament with Dr Christian Bell presenting the medical view stating, "The present Safe Abortion Bill will promote unsafe abortion and will be counterproductive to its avowed ideal of protecting the productive health of women and preventing maternal mortality."

Bishop Archibald Cole relayed the news that Minister of Health had informed the religious leaders that the bill did not originate from his Ministry and that there has never been due consultation. The bishop concluded, "...on the basis of our arguments that have taken into consideration the religious, medical, legal and gender perspectives, IRCSL hereby declares that the Safe Abortion Bill has lots of fundamental flaws, both in form and in content".

"It undermines cultural and religious values, promotes a culture of death and makes individual choice and freedom more important than the moral imperative of human conscience. We therefore unanimously reject the proposition of this bill and ask that it be expunged from Parliament for the good of all citizens of this country".

Their efforts were supported by the Culture of Life Africa which organized
an group letter thanking the president for his action and another letter urging the Parliament to reject the Abortion Act and instead work on a Safe Childbirth Act to save the lives of mothers and children. In explaining its actions, Culture of Life founder and President Obianuju Ekeocha stated:

"We reached out to the international pro-life community to counter what we know to be a well funded push for abortion in Sierra Leone. And we got an overwhelming support of signatories from civil society organizations and highly respected professionals from academia, legal and health sectors across Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia. 

It is indeed true that we may not have the massive funding that our pro-abortion opponents have, but the truth remains that most Africans oppose abortion and will act IF they know that pro-abortion western-based organizations like Ipas, Marie Stopes, and IPPF are working so hard to unleash legal abortion upon our people. 
 
Africa does not need abortion because we understand that life begins at conception and as such our path to authentic development should not be paved with the blood of our innocent unborn children. 
 
It is our hope to continue to oppose the irreconcilable lie of legal abortion in any African country where it is being peddled by western powers." 
 
Anticipation for Parliament's next step is building.

Sierra Leone: Debate over Abortion Bill

A debate over the broad legalization of abortion has emerged in Sierra Leone, which has the world's highest maternal mortality rate, following the refusal by President Ernest Bai Koroma to sign a private Member's bill, the "Safe Abortion Bill 2015", passed by Parliament in December during a procedure that was not without controversy. The president, after meeting with Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL) sent the bill back to Parliament for reconsideration without his signature.
 
The Abortion Act would legalize abortion on demand for the first trimester and during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy would allow it when "the continued pregnancy would pose a risk of injury to the female's health; or there is a risk of fetal abnormality; or according to the pregnant female, the pregnancy resulted from rape, incest or other felonious intercourse."
 
US-based abortion advocate Ipas and its regional Ipas Africa Alliance have been actively working in Sierra Leone as was stated by its Sierra Leonean country manager: It has been a long road; we've been working on law reform efforts here for the last five years."
 
The bill facilitates the use of abortion-inducing drugs for "medical abortion". Abortion inducing pills are particularly dangerous for women who do not have access to health care as is the case in Sierra Leone as women can experience extreme blood loss and incomplete abortion requiring further treatment, blood transfusion, and surgery to complete the abortion and prevent or treat infection. 
 
The action by the president was unexpected; a number of pro-abortion organizations had already declared "the legalization of abortion in Sierra Leone" as one of their biggest wins in 2015. A pro-abortion petition organized by Ipas Africa Alliance, Solidarity for African Women's Rights Coalition (SOAWR) for which Equality Now is the secretariat, and FEMNET is underway calling on Parliament to legalize abortion.
 
A small group of "human rights experts" who hold positions at the United Nations and African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and have urged the president to sign the bill so it can be enacted.
 
Religious leaders in Sierra Leone are strongly united in opposition to the Abortion Act and have received public support. The IRCSL presented its case to the leadership of Parliament with Dr Christian Bell presenting the medical view stating, "The present Safe Abortion Bill will promote unsafe abortion and will be counterproductive to its avowed ideal of protecting the productive health of women and preventing maternal mortality."

Bishop Archibald Cole relayed the news that Minister of Health had informed the religious leaders that the bill did not originate from his Ministry and that there has never been due consultation. The bishop concluded, "...on the basis of our arguments that have taken into consideration the religious, medical, legal and gender perspectives, IRCSL hereby declares that the Safe Abortion Bill has lots of fundamental flaws, both in form and in content".

"It undermines cultural and religious values, promotes a culture of death and makes individual choice and freedom more important than the moral imperative of human conscience. We therefore unanimously reject the proposition of this bill and ask that it be expunged from Parliament for the good of all citizens of this country".

Their efforts were supported by the Culture of Life Africa which organized
an group letter thanking the president for his action and another letter urging the Parliament to reject the Abortion Act and instead work on a Safe Childbirth Act to save the lives of mothers and children. In explaining its actions, Culture of Life founder and President Obianuju Ekeocha stated:

"We reached out to the international pro-life community to counter what we know to be a well funded push for abortion in Sierra Leone. And we got an overwhelming support of signatories from civil society organizations and highly respected professionals from academia, legal and health sectors across Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia. 

It is indeed true that we may not have the massive funding that our pro-abortion opponents have, but the truth remains that most Africans oppose abortion and will act IF they know that pro-abortion western-based organizations like Ipas, Marie Stopes, and IPPF are working so hard to unleash legal abortion upon our people. 
 
Africa does not need abortion because we understand that life begins at conception and as such our path to authentic development should not be paved with the blood of our innocent unborn children. 
 
It is our hope to continue to oppose the irreconcilable lie of legal abortion in any African country where it is being peddled by western powers." 
 
Anticipation for Parliament's next step is building.

Global Pro Abortion Conference

The 3rd International Congress on Women's Health and Unsafe Abortion was held in Bangkok, Thailand with the theme "Working Together Towards Global Safe Abortion."

The titles of presentations reveal the focus on so-called "medical abortion"- abortion induced by medication- as in RU 486, the gold standard, or by misoprostol alone in countries where mifepristone, the first drug of the RU 486 regime, is not available.
 
Abortion inducing drugs are increasingly the main focus of activists working to advance "access to abortion" especially when fewer and fewer doctors are willing to perform surgical abortions. The global push for abortion pills takes place regardless of the legal status of abortion and includes in low resource areas where women do not have access to health care.
 
The list of speakers and the program reveals many familiar pro-abortion leaders.

Presentations included: 'Trust women: the key to good medical abortion services' by Beverly Winikoff of Gynuity;' Medical abortion in the hands of women a one stop treatment' by Dr Christian Fiala, abortionist from Austria; 'Legal and non-legal ways to distribute abortion pills. Does it matter?' by Rebecca Gomerts, Women on Waves; 'Establishing Abortion Federations to Support Providers' by Vicki Saporta of National Abortion Federation; and 'Impact of religious refusals and conscientious objection' and 'Values Clarification Workshop' (lasting 8 hours) by Jon O'Brien, Catholics for Choice.
 
The use of abortion hotlines and social media were also discussed with an acknowledgement of the danger women face when buying abortion pills over the internet due to "unreliable abortion pill sites".
International Pro-Life Actions

Pro-lifers Brave Blizzard for 2016 March for Life

The 43rd annual March for Life brought thousands of pro-lifers onto the streets of Washington, DC, despite the arrival of an historic blizzard. Marchers came from all over the country, many riding buses, to raise their voices and stand up for the right to life on the anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.
 
The theme of this year's March- "Pro-life and pro-woman go hand in hand"- was reflected in speeches from leaders in the pro-life movement and Members of Congress. Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List reminded the crowd that the early suffragettes condemned abortion as barbaric. Former Cosmopolitan magazine writer Sue Ellen Browder told the crowd that it is not abortion advocates like Planned Parenthood that but they, pro-lifers, who "represent the authentic women's movement of the 21st century!"
 
Congressman Chris Smith emphasized the pro-life victories in legislatures across the country- over 280 pro-life laws passed since 2010 stating, "Someday soon, America will protect the weakest and most vulnerable. And into eternity, each and every one of you will have played a crucial part in that all-important human rights struggle."
 
The witness of the pro-lifers did not end when they left the March, but rather, continued as they made their way home through a blizzard that dropped over 30 inches of snow in some areas of the Northeast. Hundreds of people ended up stranded in buses, cars and trucks along the Pennsylvania Turnpike for up to 23 hours. Despite the difficult conditions, pro lifers remained prayerful and upbeat, even building an altar out of snow to celebrate mass outside. During the ordeal, Iowans for LIFE Associate Director Mary Granzow posted to Facebook, "We have now been stuck over 15 hours in the snow...but that isn't ruining our spirits! We are still on a pilgrimage for life including Mass outside in the snow, snowball fights, and making sure those driving by know that every life matters!"
Legislative News

Euthanasia Declaration Falls Short in European Parliament

A written declaration supporting euthanasia failed to get the majority vote needed in the European Parliament (EP). Entitled, "Written declaration on dignity at the end of life", the declaration stated that "All European citizens, regardless of their nationality, who are in an advanced or terminal phase of an incurable illness, causing unbearable physical or mental suffering that cannot be alleviated, should be able to benefit from medical assistance to end their life with dignity." The declaration was only supported by 95 of 751 MPs.
 
Antoine Renard , President of the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FCFAE) said this move indicates "that the pro-euthanasia lobby is starting to work actively in the European Parliament." Renard noted the focus on parliamentarians: "This induces the risk that the attention of European policy makers is diverted from what the EU could do to promote good practices among Members States with regard to palliative care and support to families who care for a person at the end of his or her life."

US: Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood, President Vetoes

Both chambers of the US Congress passed legislation to defund Planned Parenthood, sending it to the president's desk. The legislation would shift 80 percent of Planned Parenthood's funding to other qualified health centers that do not provide abortions. The abortion giant receives millions of taxpayer dollars every year. President Obama promptly vetoed the legislation, which also repealed parts of the Affordable Care Act. However, the historic passage of the legislation in both the House of Representatives and Senate was heralded as a pro-life victory. "The decision to continue using taxpayer money to fund the abortion industry now rests with President Barack Obama and Planned Parenthood," said Jeanne Mancini, President of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. A vote in the House was rescheduled due to Blizzard, however, it is not expected to get enough votes to override the veto.
Executive News

France: Full Federal Funding for All Abortion Procedures

France's health minister Marisol Touraine has announced that all procedures related to abortion will be fully funded by the government by April 1, 2016. Abortion has been covered by the national health insurance since 2013, but now it will also cover sonograms (before and after abortion), blood tests, biological testing, and consultations. Just like all measures related to pregnancy are covered, now it will be so with abortion. Touraine made the announcement while visiting a French Planned Parenthood center. The minister lauded the new plan and other measures that have been enacted as part of the "National Plan of Action" to promote abortion launched last January, including a national hotline, website and public campaign. Touraine also announced plans to change laws to make abortion even more accessible, despite the country's already high rate of abortion.

Portugal: President Vetoes Bill to Increase Access to Abortion

Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva has vetoed legislation to make abortion more accessible. The bill sought to remove the current requirement for mandatory counseling for women seeking abortion. President Silva said that counseling is a common requirement in Europe and removing it would reduce women's right to information. The president also vetoed a bill to grant full adoption rights to same-sex couples. It is unsure if the parliament has the two-thirds majority vote to override a veto.
Judicial News

Northern Ireland: Abortion Ruling to be Appealed

Northern Ireland's Attorney General John Larkin QC will appeal the High Court's ruling last November that the country needed to make abortion available in cases of rape, incest or "fatal fetal abnormalities". The ruling issued by Justice Mark Horner claimed that Northern Ireland's law on abortion is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) welcomed the move and will be a party to the case. "We will show the Court that international law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, demands that States provide 'appropriate legal protection before as well as after birth'," said SPUC's Liam Gibson.
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) now plans to "cross appeal" any legal challenges to the ruling which will usher abortion into the country. "The choice of accessing a termination of pregnancy in circumstances of serious malformation of foetus (including fatal foetal abnormality), rape or incest, without being criminalised for doing so, should be made available in Northern Ireland," said NIHRC chief commissioner Les Allamby.

Canada: Supreme Court Gives Extension for Euthanasia Law; Quebec Registers First Death

Canada's Supreme Court has given the government a four month extension to pass legislation on euthanasia, after which there will be no legal protections. The court struck down a law banning euthanasia last February in the case of Carter v. Canada. The ruling gave the parliament 12 months to pass a law codifying a national euthanasia policy, which it has yet to do. At the same time, Quebec's government has announced it will not prosecute doctors who implement the euthanasia policy and this month the first death by assisted suicide was registered at a medical facility.
 
Dr Paul Saba, who legally challenged the government's euthanasia law, noted that the World Medical Association has clearly said that "euthanasia is not a medical act" and pointed out that "the criteria the government is using to permit euthanasia is full of holes". Amy Hasbrouck with the disabilities rights group Not Dead Yet raised concerns that safeguards are not being put in place to protect patients from coercion, including little home support, palliative care, and other services. "If the person wants to die at home but ends up in a prison-like facility with one bath a week and everyone getting up at the same time, this is not a dignified way to live. A person may choose euthanasia because social services are not enough. This is coercive," stated Hasbrouck.

 
 
Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues
Advancing global respect and dignity for life through law and policy.

Down Syndrome Campaign: "Don't Screen Us Out"


www.pncius.org
Visit us on the web! 
www.PNCIUS.org has been updated with expanded information on Human Dignity and critical issues including: Abortion, Bioethics, Child Mortality, End of life issues, Infanticide, Maternal mortality and Sex-selective abortion.
 
Contact PNCI
Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues
P.O. Box 20203
 Washington, DC 20041
703-433-2767 
info@pncius.org
 
PNCI is a global outreach of Gospel of Life Ministries.

All news articles include links to original source. PNCI cannot verify that the information contained in the news articles is accurate. 

Back