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International Pro-Life Actions
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U.S. Congress Will Vote on Five Month Abortion Restriction
Landslide election
victories in the U.S. resulted in Republicans taking control of the
Senate while maintaining control of the House of Representatives.
Pro-life majorities were elected to both chambers.
During post-election reorganization, pro-life Senator Mitch McConnell from Kentucky was unanimously elected by his Senate
Republican colleagues to serve as Senate Majority Leader, the highest
position in the Senate which determines the bills that are debated on
the Senate floor. The Senate under Democratic control refused to allow
debate on numerous bills passed by the House, including pro-life
legislation.
One of the first statements by Senator McConnell included the welcome news that the new Senate will vote on the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to
protect unborn children at five months gestation and later from the
pain of late term abortion methods. It is believed that if such a ban
became law it would save 18,000 babies a year from abortion.
However, pro-life
expectations need to be measured. While there will be a pro-life
majority in the Senate, according to procedural rules 60 votes are
needed to pass the legislation. The perception is that the Pain Capable
Unborn Child Protection Act will be again be passed by the House, will
receive a majority of 100 votes in the Senate but not the 60 needed for
passage. The Senate vote will however show which senators hold extreme
views on abortion which could help defeat them in the critical 2016
elections.
The 2014
congressional election results were viewed as a defeat of the so-called
"war on women" that was contrived by pro-abortion organizations and the
Democratic Party to defeat pro-life candidates. Instead it backfired as
candidates defended their pro-life positions and 18 pro-life women were
elected to the House including the first black Republican
Representative, Congresswoman Mia Love, and the youngest woman ever
elected to Congress, Elise Stefanik.
Elected to the
U.S. Senate was Joni Ernst who becomes the third pro-life woman
senator. A mother and former soldier who served as a company commander
in Iraq, Ernst was criticized by Hillary Clinton who campaigned for
Ernst's male opponent and stated, "I would also add, it's not enough to
be a woman. You have to be committed to expand rights and opportunities
for all women." It seems that in Clinton's view support for abortion
trumps military combat to bring freedom and democracy to women and men
in Iraq.
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International Pressure for Abortion
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Georgetown Law Entity Co-Authors Document Targeting Conscientious Objection
A new publication
revealing a global strategy to combat the use of conscientious objection
(CO) in order to increase access to abortion was launched at an event
at Georgetown Law. The new document, Conscientious Objection and Abortion: A Global Perspective on the Colombian Experience- English, Spanish- was co-authored by the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University
and Women's Link Worldwide. The publication looks at the decision by
the Columbian Constitutional Court in 2009, T-388/09, which issued
exceptions to Colombia's abortion law and limited the use of
institutional conscientious objection and by health care providers.
The event at Georgetown included representatives from IPPF and the ACLU. Tracy Robinson, Chair
of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, also participated.
Attendees reported that speakers equated conscientious objection with
"torture" and "war crimes" and it was suggested that instead of the term
"conscientious objection" the phrase "arbitrary refusal to care" or "refusal of services" should be used in an attempt to erode support for conscience protection.
The publication
details how abortion strategists seek to fabricate international
standards to tightly restrict the use of conscientious objection for
abortion in order to force health personnel to participate in the
death-inducing act of abortion.
Included in the section "What Measures May Be Taken to Overcome These Barriers?" [to conscientious objection] the publication states:
In the governmental sphere (regulatory/legal), some measures include the following:
- Decriminalize and legalize abortion.
- Incorporate
abortion services into HSRR policies (so that abortion will not be
considered an isolated practice that may be excluded from healthcare
services).
- Include abortion in healthcare educational
curricula. This would allow abortion to be reframed as one of many
medical procedures, all the while sensitizing healthcare professionals
to the issue and preparing them to provide quality services.
- Transfer
normative and legal frameworks from domestic violence and gender
violence into healthcare services (or strengthen these frameworks where
it has already been incorporated into legislation). This would allow the refusal of services to be considered, for instance, as cases of institutional or obstetric violence.
- Reward successes in legal abortion services.
- Require
malpractice policies to cover legal abortion procedures. Malpractice
coverage would provide healthcare professionals with peace of mind and
reassurance when providing the service.
- Sanction abuses
of CO or arbitrary refusals of service. Legal or administrative
sanctions against professionals who fail to fulfill their duties would
lend credence to existing legal frameworks and the defense of women's
rights.
- Improve financial incentives for professionals who perform surgical abortions as well as medical abortions.
The document also looks at the use of conscientious objection to the provision of contraception as illustrated in the U.S. case Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. The O'Neill Institute at Georgetown, a Catholic university, stated on its blog that it "proudly" announced the launch of the publication.
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Focus on the United Nations
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Shadow Reports Says U.S. Helms Amendment = Torture
The
Global Justice Center (GJC) and the World Organisation Against Torture
(OMCT) are accusing the U.S. of inhumane treatment for not including
abortion in its foreign assistance programs. In a shadow report
submitted to the UN Committee Against Torture, the GJC and OMCT said
the U.S. policy restricting the funding of abortions overseas, known as
the Helms Amendment, constitutes torture against pregnant victims of war
rape. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (CAT), they claim that the U.S. is violating its commitment
to combat torture and needs to amend its foreign policy. "U.S.
abortion restrictions on foreign assistance strongly contradict the
object and purpose of CAT - this policy not only makes the struggle
against torture less effective, but actively contributes to the
suffering of rape victims and thus perpetuates ill-treatment," stated Akila Radhakrishnan, GJC's Legal Director. The shadow report echoes
an ongoing effort by international human rights bodies to push nations
that have signed CAT to amend abortion laws and policies to increase
access to abortion. The GJC credits its efforts to an increased
recognition of the need for "safe" abortion services for war rape
victims worldwide and a change in national governments' policies lifting
abortion restrictions.
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Legislative News
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UK: Parliament Votes to Clarify Law Against Sex-Selective Abortion
The British Parliament has approved
a measure to debate the legality of sex-selection abortions in the
context of the 1967 abortion law by a vote of 181-1. MP Fiona Bruce
introduced the legislation citing the need for "urgent clarification" on
the legality of sex-selective abortion after the British Medical
Association said it was sometimes justified. After a sting investigation
revealed it was happening in the U.K., the Crown Prosecution Service
opted not to prosecute the doctors involved in illegal abortions. "The law does not, in terms, expressly prohibit gender-specific abortions," explained director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer. The
Department of Health then issued guidelines stating sex-selective
abortions were against the law, however, the British Medical Association
and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which provides over 60,000
abortions a year, claim the law is not clear and that the practice is
permissible in cases. "It is a shame that this clarification is
needed. Successive health ministers and even the Prime Minister have
been very clear, they state that abortion for reasons of gender alone is
illegal. The Prime Minister has described the practice as appalling
but they are being ignored," said MP Bruce. Further action on the legislation is expected next year. Additionally,
a summons has been issued to a doctor accused of offering to authorize
an illegal sex selective or "gender abortion". In the first case of
its kind, 21 year old Aisling Hubert, supported by the Christian Legal
Centre, launched a rare private prosecution of Dr. Prabha Sivaraman
and a second doctor in Birmingham. The result is an order by the
Magistrates' Court in Manchester for Dr Sivaraman to appear next month
to face a charge of "conspiracy to procure poison to be used with
intent to procure abortion, contrary to section 59 of the Offences
against the Person Act 1861" as reported by Christian Concern. A recent survey
by Christian Concern shows 80 percent of Britons support the
prosecution of doctors who authorize abortions for gender and 84
percent said sex-selective abortion should be illegal.
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Argentina: Congress Debates Bill to Legalize Abortion
The Argentine Congress has opened debate
on legislation to legalize abortion following pro-abortion
demonstrations in front of the Capital this past September. The
Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Bill would legalize abortion on
demand for the first trimester and require public funding for abortions.
It would also permit abortion later in pregnancy in cases of rape,
fetal disability, or health or life of the mother. Following a long
heated debate, the Commission lacked a quorum and was unable to issue an
official opinion. A positive opinion is needed in order for the
legislation to advance. Members are calling for another meeting so the
Commission can discuss the legislation further and issue an opinion.
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Executive News
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India: Government Proposes "One of the Most Liberal" Abortion Bills
The Indian government has proposed legislation-
the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2014, (MTP) to
raise the country's abortion limit to 24 weeks gestation from 20 weeks
and permit midwives and homeopaths to perform abortions. The bill,
drafted by the ministry of health and family welfare's maternal health
division, comes after consistent lobbying efforts by pro-abortion NGOs.
The legislation is said to be one of the most liberal abortion
documents. "This is the biggest advancement of women's rights since the
passage of the MTP Act in 1971," said
Vinod Manning of abortion advocate Ipas. The Indian Medical Association
strongly opposes the legislation, arguing that midwives and unqualified
doctors are not equipped nor trained to perform abortions.
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Religious News
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Indonesia: Muslims Add Voice to Abortion Opposition
Indonesia's largest moderate Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), has voiced its strong opposition
to abortion at a recent conference. Aligning themselves with the
Catholic Church, the organization said that abortion is illegal and
morally wrong. While abortion is illegal in Indonesia, the Ministry of
Health issued new regulations this year permitting abortion in cases of
rape and the mother's life.
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Issues
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Sex-Selective Abortion an "Epidemic" Now Prevalent in Eastern Europe
Sex-selective abortion is happening at "epidemic"
levels and is now prevalent in eastern European countries, where there
is no previous history of it, according to the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA). The practice has expanded to countries such as Albania,
Kosovo and Macedonia. Research by UNFPA has shown that a strong
prevalence for male births, an "abortion culture" left over from the
Soviet era, and access to pre-natal sex determination technology is
resulting in a high rate of sex selection abortions in the Caucasus
region. In Armenia and Azerbaijan, 115 boys are born for every 100
girls, and in Georgia, 120 boys for every 100 girls, compared to a
biological average of 105 boys to 100 girls.
The UNFPA
estimates that nearly 93,000 women will be missing by 2060 in Armenia if
nothing changes. Luis Mora, chief of the UNFPA's gender branch, said
the spread of female feticide is "a warning". "Behind this situation
there is a strong and critical warning about how gender inequalities,
violence, son preference and other harmful practices can really become
universal," said Mora.
PNCI notes that Mara Hvistendahl explained in her ground breaking book, Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men,
that the practice of sex selective abortion was proposed in 1969 by the
Population Council as a means of population control. Matthew J.
Connelly, Ph.D., Professor, Columbia University, writes in Fatal Misconception: The Struggle to Control World Population,
that Planned Parenthood's head of research, Steven Polgar, promoted the
idea of sex selective abortion urging biologists to develop a technique
for pre-natal sex determination.
As the first
generation affected by sex selection matures into adults, there are dire
consequences as tens of millions of men cannot find wives leading to
increased sex trafficking and forced bride selling; populations are
aging with few daughters and daughters-in-law to care for elderly family
members and there are fewer workers resulting in unprecedented
challenges for governments. Read more on the PNCI website about this issue.
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Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues
Advancing global respect and dignity for life through law
and policy.
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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.
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Contact PNCI |
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Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues
P.O. Box 20203
Washington, DC 20041
703-433-2767
info@pncius.org
All news articles include links to original source. PNCI cannot verify that the
information contained in the news articles is accurate.
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