Sri Lanka Church: 'no' to the right to abortion
A proposed law aims to enshrine termination of pregnancy as a women's right which is upheld by the UN convention. The Bishops' Conference is concerned the law may be abused and the number of abortions will increase.
Colombo (AsiaNews/UCAN) In Sri Lanka the rate of abortions is equal if not higher than the birth rate. According to Catholic bishops, the situation could well deteriorate if a proposed bill of law is approved, which aims to enshrine abortion as a women's right.
According to NGO statistics about women's health, confirmed by the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), between 700 and 1000 abortions are carried out daily in the country. Considering that 320,000 babies are born each year around 880 per day it is impossible to say whether there are more abortions than births, or if they tally.
The statistics are worrying for the local Catholic Church, even more so because of a bill of law destined to worsen the situation. Already in August, the Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka declared itself against the "Women's Act": a bill which provides for the right of abortion in cases of sexual violence, incest and deformity of the fetus. The stipulation is in line with CEDAW the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women which Sri Lanka ratified in 1981.
At the moment, the only situation in which abortion is legal in the country is when a woman's life is threatened by her pregnancy. But for women who cannot face the "shame" of a pregnancy outside wedlock or the burden of caring for a child, an illegal abortion, often performed in a "back-street clinic" by unqualified personnel, is seen as the only way out.
The bishops consider the regulation inadequate to tackle the problem and fear the number of terminated pregnancies would increase: it could provide justification for abortion in any circumstance, becoming an alternative to contraception.
Mgr Marius Peiris, of Colombo, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops' Conference in Sri Lanka said: "At times even the crucial decisions women are compelled to take in very difficult moments are to be understood with compassion. But we cannot condone a culture of death that is a community way of life." In a joint statement issued on 24 August, the bishops said "discrimination against women is to be deplored, and their rights must be safeguarded." However, the bishops said they were "concerned that the UN considers denial of the liberty of a woman or a girl to commit abortion as a 'discrimination against women'." Many fear the law would be abused by youth who would see it as an easy way out in case of undesired pregnancies.
Ishan Dias, a medical doctor specializing in this topic, gives talks to clergy and lay people on "the gravity of abortion", proposing other solutions. He said many girls who have abortions are workers from the tea plantations. "They are misinformed and have no clue as to what to do except feel fear, shame and desperation," he explained. "The infrastructure is lacking here -- there are no counselling centres to help girls in trouble. It is a serious matter, and if the bill is passed then there would be no excuse for girls who do not want to have abortions, because their boyfriends or husbands would insist that it is legal." The doctor said that in his talks, he urged men to take responsibility and not to encourage abortion just because they "made a mistake".
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24/10/2019 17:56
