Commission on the Status of Women: An Opportunity for Pro-Life Dialogue

Josh Craddock

3/2/12

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is one of the busiest times of the year at the United Nations. Hundreds of representatives and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all over the world flood to the UN’s New York headquarters overlooking the East River in order to discuss a broad range of women’s issues. I attended official assemblies and NGO side events to gather information about what the abortion lobby’s strategy will be, and to talk to delegates about the importance of using pro-life language in resolutions the Commission will recommend to the General Assembly.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) hosted an event in which panelists emphasized the need for women’s access to health care services free of coercion. We joined other NGOs in calling for the panel to condemn China’s forced abortion and sterilization policies based on their own standards of proper health care. The panel observed that although USAID money cannot be used to fund abortion, UNFPA still promotes abortion abroad in the name of reducing maternal mortality. Yet as I pointed out in my last report, abortion is actually more dangerous to mothers than childbirth!

I was so encouraged to meet a group of nearly twenty young women from Latin America who made their voices heard in NGO meetings in order to promote respect for life and to encourage youth to remain abstinent. One young lady, Paulina, told me that she was able to come after winning a pro-life oratorical contest in Mexico and about her passion for using her gift of communication to protect life. She and her friends helped host a well-attended side event which warned delegates about International Planned Parenthood’s effort to sexualize young children.

Finally, I reviewed a draft resolution on HIV/AIDS prevention today and made recommendations to its pro-life sponsor to remove language that would imply that governments must provide comprehensive sexuality education which is often used to promote abortion. These recommendations will be used next week as negotiations continue on the draft resolution.