February 27, 2020
Yesterday, Cathay Wagantall, Member of Parliament for Yorkton—Melville, introduced a Private Members Bill, the Sex Selective Abortion Act. This act will make it illegal to perform an abortion when the sole reason is the sex of the pre-born child.
We Need a Law, a campaign advocating for legislation protecting pre-born children, is thrilled to see this bill coming to the House of Commons for debate. Tabitha Ewert, Legal Counsel for We Need a Law, commented, “We have long recognized that a prohibition on sex selective abortion is something which Canadians support. In fact, a recent poll shows 84% are opposed to sex selective abortion. As Canadians support equality among the sexes, we look forward to Parliamentarians representing them well by ensuring Ms. Wagantall’s bill receives the support it needs to pass into law.”
We Need a Law has consistently advocated for abortion restrictions that recognize Canadians’ shared beliefs. This takes into account the nuanced views most Canadians hold on abortion, and allows for the protection of some pre-born children.
“Canada is the only democratic country in the world that has no abortion law. We know that this complete lack of restrictions means abortion is used for sex selection, which is inherently discrimination. As a society that values equality of the sexes, we have an opportunity here to take a stand against the inequality manifest in deciding a child’s wantedness based on their sex,” said Ewert.
Wagantall is calling on Parliamentarians to support this bill to make the point that sex selective abortion is not permissible in a society that advocates for the equality of the sexes. “Sex selective abortion is antithetical to our commitment to equality and needs to be prohibited as an unacceptable practice,” said Wagantall in a press release.
Ms. Wagantall previously introduced “Cassie and Molly’s Law” to the House of Commons, which did not pass but would have addressed pre-born victims of crime. “We admire Ms. Wagantall’s commitment to defending the vulnerable,” said Ewert, “and are thankful for her understanding of the value of life from its earliest stages. We support her efforts to engage her colleagues in the ongoing abortion conversation in Canada, and hope to see hearts and minds changed through the debate around this bill.”
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For further comment or images to accompany story, please contact
Tabitha Ewert (EST) at (604) 220-1258 // tabitha@test.weneedalaw.ca