United Nations Population Fund Attempts to Equate Violence Against Women with Denial of Abortion

NEW YORK, November 25, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women today, the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund attempted to link the denial of abortion to violence against women.  A United Nations Press release entitled “World Should Promote Zero Tolerance For Violence Against Women,” quotes from a speech by the UNFPA’s Thoraya Ahmed Obaid and also provides a UNFPA video both associating the group’s abortion advocacy with the ending of violence against women.  The first half of Obaid’s speech and the first half of the UNFPA film deal with the universally accepted goal to end violence against women and girls including trafficking of women, and physical abuse, the need for food, water and shelter.  However, the conclusion of both the speech and film bring in the usual UNFPA mantra of promotion of contraception and abortion – but abortion under the guise of ‘reproductive health care’.  In her speech Obaid says, “There is a tremendous need for reproductive health services and trained health workers to provide family planning and care during pregnancy and delivery, and also counseling and treatment for rape, unsafe abortion and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.”  UNFPA has been one of the world’s foremost promoters of the abortifacient morning after pill for rape ‘treatment’ and also of ‘safe legal abortion’ as the solution to ‘unsafe abortion’.  The film concludes with a pitch for contraceptives and says that ‘reproductive health care’ (which in UNFPA speak includes abortion) is “not a luxury, it is a human right.”  The Women’s group REAL Women Canada was outraged that the UNFPA would link stopping violence against women with their pro-abortion agenda.  REAL Women’s Gwen Landolt told LifeSiteNews.com, “How dare they usurp the legitimate concern we all have for fighting violence against women and girls and link it with their partisan promotion of abortion and contraception.”  Landolt said, “In fact, abortion is double-violence against women.  First, it is deadly violence against the unborn baby girls killed by abortion.  Secondly, abortion with its many medical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual consequences harms the mothers who undergo abortions and are not forewarned by abortionists of these dire consequences.”  See Obaid’s speech and the UNFPA film:  https://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=393 www.unfpa.org/emergencies/psa/