FAFCE, the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in
Europe report that the European Parliament will vote tomorrow Tuesday October
8th on the
Report “Gendercide: the missing women?”
Tomorrow, Tuesday 8 October the European Parliament will
vote on the Report “Gendercide: the missing women?”. Whilst not binding, this
report presents an opportunity to counteract this phenomenon and to strengthen
the right to respect for the dignity of each person to be born.
Across the world abortions are regularly performed simply
because of the sex of the child, boys are preferred to girls. A phenomenon
referred to as “Gendercide”. This situation leads to a disequilibrium between
women and men as outlined in a report presented by Directorate General for
External Policies of the European Parliament in 2012 that states that “Some
countries have for many years witnessed distorted sex ratios in the sense that
the share of male population is larger than one would expect based on “natural”
gender ratios at birth and mortality rates. This imbalance is often the result
of son preference, rooted in cultural and economic experiences, and accentuated
by declining fertility and pressures to have smaller families. With a focus on
China and India, where skewed sex ratios have been highlighted by the
international community and recognised by their governments, this study reviews
the key literature exploring the causes, current trends and consequences of sex
selective practices from infanticide and neglect to more modern sex determining
and selective practices such as ultrasound tests and consequent sex selective
abortions. Despite legislation regulating sex selection in both China and
India, these practices are difficult to monitor, with medical practitioners and
equipment suppliers reaping profits from the procedures. Skewed ratios have
also been observed in other countries, such as Vietnam, Albania, Azerbaijan and
Georgia.”
The draft report condemns abortion 7 times, whether forced
or voluntary when it is based on prenatal sex selection, namely of the female
foetus. However, it also includes several references to « Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights », a wording that implicitly includes abortion
as a means of birth control.
In order to emphasise and clarify the principles set out by
the EU and International law on the issue of abortion and sex selective
abortion, and to strengthen the right to conscientious objection for medical
staff in cases of sex selective abortion several amendments are proposed.
What can you do?
You can contact the Members of the European Parliament and
ask them to support amendments 1-5, all in favour of human dignity.
Why should they support these amendments?
· Because the
European Court of Justice that defines the human embryo as the beginning of the
development of the human being (Brüstle vs. Greenpeace), the legal basis on
which is founded the European Citizens Initiative One of Us.
· Because the
European Parliament recently condemned forced abortion in the resolution
adopted in July 2012 by the European Parliament on the forced abortion scandal
in China.
· Because of the
principle by which “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity,
needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection,
before as well as after birth” as set out by the Declaration of the Rights of
the Child of the United Nations.
· To strengthen the
right to conscientious objection for medical staff, a principle that was
recently reaffirmed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in
2010.
· Because the
phenomenon of ‘Gendercide’ is not declining: a recent article in the Economist
pointed out that Gendercide is reviving alarmingly in the Caucasus.
· Because there is
no “international right to abortion”, either by way of treaty obligation or
under customary international law. No United Nations treaty can accuratedly be
ctied as establishing or recognizing a right to abortion.
The debate on the report will take place this evening Monday
7 October.
The vote will take place on Tuesday 8 October at 12.00.
The names and contact information of the Members of the
European Parliament from your Member State can be found here.
An article about this report can be found here.
