By Gudrun Schultz
NEW YORK, March 6, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Addressing violence against women and girls must go beyond mere policy changes to look at the root reasons for the devaluing of women, stated the Vatican delegation to the 51st session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN March 2.
“The promotion of women will be achieved not only by the legitimate vindication of women’s rights,” the delegation stated. “With that there must also be established a fresh appreciation of authentically feminine values in the heart of our societies.”
The session is considering the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled ‘”Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century:’ Implementation of strategic objectives and action in the critical areas of concern and further actions and initiatives: The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child.”
The Vatican delegation condemned any tacit acceptance of the international sex trade or prostitution, often ignored as a human rights violation in developed nations.
“Women bear the brunt of the world’s child prostitution, sexual exploitation, abuse, domestic violence, child labour and human trafficking,” the Holy See stated. “The international sex trade has become an important industry as degrading as almost any mistreatment of women prior to it. This trade is often passed over in silence because it is considered a part of supposedly democratic freedoms and is too deeply rooted in places or is too lucrative to confront, so my delegation commends those states and organizations that have stepped forward in recent times to combat and draw attention to this scourge.”
The devastation of sex-selective abortion targeting baby girls was identified as one of the most significant areas of violence against women.
“There is still a profound need to strive to uphold the inherent dignity and worth of every human being, with special attention to the most vulnerable of society, our children and all the girls among them,” the Vatican stated, condemning the “inferior status” of women in certain places, and in particular the devaluing of female infants.
“In some local traditions they are thought of as a financial burden and are thus eliminated even before birth. In this way, abortion, often considered a tool of liberation, is ironically employed by women against women.”
UN reports on the status of women worldwide have consistently failed to address the growing problem of sex selective abortion, particularly in India and China.
A central tenet of the United Nation’s Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has been the increase of abortion access worldwide, with particular concentration on introducing abortion legislation in developing countries. Pursuing a radical feminist agenda, CEDAW’s policies denigrate motherhood and family life. The committee has remained silent on the use of abortion to eliminate girls and ensure the birth of sons.
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