Even in cases of war rape and child marriage, the Canadian government will follow the same principles in its nearly $3 billion maternal and child health initiative, the so-called Muskoka Initiative, promised at the G-8 talks that were held in Muskoka north of Toronto in 2010, said International Development Minister Christian Paradis.
“We’ve been clear in Muskoka, so you can think the same logic will apply here,” Paradis told journalists after a speech in New York City Oct. 4. “There are plenty of measures that can be taken and Muskoka demonstrated that and we’ll follow it in a consistent way with Muskoka.”
“We’re pleased that he is reiterating that we will not be funding abortion in Third World countries,” said Mary Ellen Douglas, Campaign Life Coalition national organizer.
The questions for Paradis came up following an impassioned speech Oct. 1 to the United Nations by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird in which he denounced worldwide violence against women and girls.
“In the context of war, rape and serious sexual violence are war crimes,” Baird said. “I have met girls who were victims of this very war crime, and their stories are horrific. The war criminals involved must be identified, pursued, prosecuted and punished.”
Baird also took aim at forced marriage that involves millions of girls, some as young as nine.
“Child marriage and war rape are both horrendous problems,” said Michele Boulva, Catholic Organization for Life and Family executive director. “We all know the negative impact of abortion on women’s lives. However, you don’t fix a problem by creating a new one; you don’t help victims by creating new ones, the abused women’s unborn children.”
“I think something needs to be done to protect women from this but abortion is not the answer,” said Douglas. “At the international level they can initiate laws to protect women from that kind of harm.
That doesn’t mean the death of their babies.”
Baird praised Harper’s global Muskoka Initiative “to reduce maternal and infant mortality and to improve the health of mothers.” He urged the countries represented to “invest in opportunities for women and girls.”
“We must ensure that women participate fully in all parts of our society and in all the countries of these United Nations. This will help us build a stronger, more secure, more prosperous and more peaceful world. It is in every nation’s self-interest to ensure every young girl realizes her full potential.”
Boulva said the long-term solution to violence against women and girls is “an educational one.”
“In order to create a true culture of life, you need to convert hearts and minds. It’s a challenge for the Church to educate people to be peace-builders and that education must start in the family.”
While Harper has angered social conservatives with his refusal to reopen the abortion debate, re-affirming the Muskoka principles mitigates some of the concern. So has his government’s stance against euthanasia as Quebec looks at legalizing the practice in defiance of the federal Criminal Code through its Bill-52, which would characterize euthanasia as “medical aid in dying” and part of health care in an attempt to by-pass the Criminal Code.
“I’m happy the federal government is holding the line on euthanasia,” said Boulva. “Euthanasia is the logical outcome of our culture of death. If you don’t respect life at the beginning why would you at the end?”