New UN Report on Violence Against Women Calls for Abortion and Homosexual Rights

By Samantha Singson

     (NEW YORK — C-FAM) The UN Secretariat's much anticipated report on violence against women was released this week. Compiled by a host of UN agencies and departments, regional groups, and governments, the report also had input from pro-abortion and pro-homosexual groups such as the Center for Reproductive Rights, Equality Now, and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. Not surprisingly the report was short on criticizing sex selected abortions and long on advocating for legalized abortion and homosexual rights.

     Despite the fact that the General Assembly has repeatedly stated that laws on abortion are to be legislated by national governments, the report, entitled In-depth Study on All Forms of Violence against Women, calls for the need for legalized abortion. At one point the report finds that, “The range of services required to assist victims/survivors of violence against women include: comprehensive medical services, including access to safe abortion; counseling; shelter; provision of basic necessities such as food, water and sanitation; and community services and education.” It does not state the reason why women need abortion during warfare more than they need other vital security-related or humanitarian services, however.

     The new study includes “sexual orientation” on the non-discrimination list alongside long-established categories such as race, age, class and religion, despite the fact the term has never before been included in a binding UN document and has caused heated debates whenever it has appeared in other draft texts.  In recent years, there have been repeated failed attempts to add “sexual orientation” to the list.  Member states of the Human Rights Council have repeatedly rejected such efforts arguing that acceptance of the term “sexual orientation” in a non-discrimination clause in a UN document would deny religious faiths the freedom to speak out against homosexuality and same-sex relationships, and would bolster claims to same-sex “marriage”.

     “Forced pregnancy” is also mentioned several times throughout the study. The term first appeared in a UN document during negotiations to establish the International Criminal Court (ICC). At that time radical feminists refused to define it, though it was discovered that they used the term in a Utah court case where it meant that a woman could not get an abortion.

     The Third Committee will be taking action on the Secretary General’s report next month.

 Friday Fax October 12, 2006 | Volume 9, Number 43
Copyright 2006 - C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute). Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required. www.c-fam.org
 

 Dear Colleague,

It is amazing. A new report on violence against women is silent on sex selected abortions. This is where baby girls are aborted because they are girls. This is an epidemic in Asia and also Eastern Europe. Yet, the report calls for legalized abortion. Well, that’s the UN.

Spread the word.

Yours sincerely,

Austin Ruse
President

Updated on RARTL October, 2006