STRASBOURG, France, JUNE 29, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The trend to abort baby girls shows that crises are related: the cultural crisis leads to a demographic one, and ultimately economic woes.
This is the reflection made by Grégor Puppinck, director of the European Centre for Law and Justice, in a statement from that group, which reports that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the United Nations are addressing sex-selective abortion.
The PACE filed a motion called «Sex-selective abortion — ‘Gendercide'» in May 2010 (Doc. 12258), inviting the member states of the Council of Europe to «condemn sex-selective abortion, wherever and whenever it occurs.»
The report notes the preference for male offspring, «especially in cultures or countries where family sizes are constrained.»
It highlights the plight of China — where 124 boys are born for every 100 girl — as well as India, South Korea, Taiwan and even some European countries.
The ECLJ noted: «Considering possible consequences of this ‘gendercide,’ the document affirms that this ‘gender imbalance constitutes a serious threat for global security. The selective pre-natal killing of females will in the near future lead to a further radical decline of birth rates, which could dangerously undermine the sustainability of entire national economies.’ The motion also mentions the negative consequences of future male-dominated populations where men are unable to find wives and start a family.»
In January, a first draft of the memorandum was considered and debate and vote on a resolution is expected in October.
This month, five U.N. agencies issued a joint statement on «Preventing gender-biased sex selection.»
The statement notes that while the biologically normal sex ratio at birth ranges from 102 to 106 males per 100 females, ratios higher than normal — sometimes as high as 130 — have been observed.
