NEW YORK, MAY 25, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The predominantly Catholic nation of East Timor is under pressure from the United Nations for its laws that penalize abortion, even in the case of rape and incest.
The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute reported last week that East Timor’s policies are being scrutinized by the U.N. committee responsible for overseeing compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which will meet for its 44th session in July.
The country’s new penal code, which will take effect at the beginning of June, continues to penalize the practice of abortion, though it adds an exception for cases where the mother’s health is in jeopardy.
A report from East Timor to the committee states that abortion is a “sensitive issue” in the country, “especially given the traumatic events of recent years” when a 24-year Indonesian occupation enforced family planning programs that were “widely resented” by the people.
The report notes that in the Timorese culture, contraception is generally unpopular, as both men and women see it as “fueling promiscuity and sexually-transmitted diseases while decreasing the number of children.”
The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute stated that despite general support in East Timor for the continued criminalization of abortion, several non-governmental organizations such as the Alola Foundation and Rede Feto, with the support of the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Children’s Fund, have been lobbying for more liberalized abortion laws.
It also reports that under the guise of promoting “gender equality,” the U.N. committee is pushing for the “modification of customs and practices” regarded by them as “discriminatory.”
Additionally, the U.N. body responds with opposition or indifference to Timor’s reference to their long-standing customs, distrust of foreign influence, and the “reproductive rights” abuses suffered by Timorese women under Indonesia’s rule.
The Timorese report states that the nation values gender distinctions as they help to protect the integrity of the family, as well as the well-being of women.
