Pro-life women have urged Rona Ambrose, Minister for the Status of Women, to support M-408, a private member’s motion that condemns sex-selective abortion.
Last Fall, Ambrose shocked some political observers when she joined ten of her cabinet colleagues and a majority of her caucus to support Stephen Woodworth’s private member’s motion calling for a scientific inquiry about the child in the womb. The motion was defeated and unions and feminist groups called for Ambrose’s resignation. Ambrose stated that she supported the motion because she was concerned about sex-selective abortions.
After the vote, MP Mark Warawa (CPC, Langley) announced he would introduce a private member’s motion condemning sex-selective abortion. Ambrose was considered a likely supporter of his motion, but the political website iPolitics issued a report saying the minister would oppose M-408, saying that cabinet opposes the bill.
Alissa Golob, Campaign Life Coalition’s youth coordinator, told LifeSiteNews that Ambrose “has an obligation to vote in favour of Motion 408 because her role is to represent the women of Canada, which means protecting their rights from the womb to the tomb.” Golob called the practice of gendercide the “ultimate form of discrimination.”
Angelina Steenstra, national coordinator for Silent No More Awareness Campaign, urged Ambrose, “to stand up for the girl-child in the womb.” Steenstra told LifeSiteNews, if she were speaking to Ambrose personally, “I would appeal to her sense of ‘what is right,’ her sense of justice,” and she would encourage the minister to “to stand in the truth, stand in what she knows to be true, to go against the current mentality that either doesn’t want to engage or that doesn’t want to see the truth about what sex-selective abortion is really about.”
Diane Watts, researcher for REAL Women of Canada, said Ambrose “claims to promote the full participation of women and girls in Canadian society,” and that Ottawa brags about leading the international campaign to adopt the International Day of the Girl Child, yet her ministry “appears to be very selective” in promoting equal opportunity for girls if Ambrose is unwilling to condemn their killing in their womb.
Ambrose reportedly called the motion divisive, but Warawa points out that an Environics poll found 92 per cent of Canadians want sex-selective abortion to be made illegal. Warawa said, “I can’t think of anything else 92 percent of Canadians would agree on that strongly.” He also maintains that M-408 is not about abortion or ultrasound technology, but “discrimination against women and girls.”
Warawa’s motion would not change any laws, but it would express the opposition of Parliament to the practice of gendercide through abortion. M-408 reads in its entirety: “That the House condemn discrimination against females, occurring through sex-selective pregnancy termination.”
A website created by a coalition of pro-life groups called DefendGirls.ca states that “‘it’s a girl’ should not be a death sentence.”
First reading for M-408 is scheduled to take place April 15 and second reading and a vote to send it to committee is expected in late April or early May.
BREAKING NEWS
Just before the paper went to press, we learned that M-408 was deemed non-votable by committee. Mark Warawa is considering his options and could appeal the decision.