Almost a year post-Roe, Canada must do more on ‘backsliding’ risk: report – National | 24CA News
Almost one 12 months after the autumn of Roe v. Wade, the chance of extra “backsliding” of sexual and reproductive rights all over the world is actual — and Canada must do extra to “scale up” its help, a parliamentary committee is urging in a brand new report.
The House of Commons overseas affairs committee heard from greater than 20 witnesses and pored over briefs from 9 people and organizations earlier than issuing its report.
Its findings targeted on how Canada ought to method help for sexual and reproductive well being and rights on a worldwide scale, amid what some witnesses who testified as a part of the probe described as an “organized movement” towards ladies’s rights.
At the identical time, the report famous some nations have seen progress together with Benin, Argentina, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mexico the place abortion has change into extra accessible.
“Every woman in Canada or around the world has the freedom and the right to make decisions over their own bodies and over their own sexual and reproductive health, that includes a right to access safe and legal abortions,” Liberal MP Rachel Bendayan stated throughout a press convention concerning the report on Monday. Bendayan is a member of the committee.
Witnesses instructed the committee that Canada’s method and dedication have been “historic” and “unique.” But they added that funding in a “comprehensive package of sexual and reproductive health services” cannot solely save lives however “lessen the burden” on the well being system.
NDP MP Heather MacPherson stated whereas the overturning of Roe was the “impetus” for the examine, “attacks on women’s rights are happening around the world right now.”
“We’ve also heard of legislation being brought forward in other countries, Poland comes to mind; many countries where access to sexual health is not available, access to abortion is not available.”
Following the weeks of testimony, the committee supplied 14 suggestions.
Among them are requires the federal government to fulfill its dedication to spend a minimum of $700 million on the sexual and reproductive well being and rights of ladies globally by the top of the 2023-24 fiscal 12 months and improve the proportion of worldwide help delivered to and thru ladies’s rights organizations.
The report additionally referred to as on the federal government to make use of its partnerships to advocate for additional international funding, with the committee citing testimony that Canada has a “huge platform to stand on” and may use its management position on this planet to prioritize these rights globally.
Adolescents also needs to be included in funding and programming supporting sexual and reproductive rights globally, the committee really useful.
With battle raging in lots of components of the world, the federal government also needs to push to gather extra information about entry to sexual well being and reproductive rights in battle zones, its report famous. One advice additionally urged opposing “coercive population control targeting Uyghur women” in reference to China’s therapy of its ethnic Uyghur inhabitants.
Members of Parliament on the committee additionally urged the federal government to launch what some witnesses referred to as its “long-promised” feminist overseas coverage, saying such a doc whereas sensible would additionally “set a marker” for different nations.
One witness testified that the dearth of such a doc leads to diplomats and help staff being unaware of their tasks on worldwide growth, commerce, immigration and diplomacy.
Bloc Quebecois MP Adreanne Larouche stated such a doc was essential as a result of “it seems that the government doesn’t really put into place what its international feminist policy says.” Larouche is vice-chair of the committee on the standing of ladies and was invited to share her ideas on the press convention by Bloc MP and committee member Stephané Bergeron.
Conservative MPs on the committee included an addendum to the report saying the dialogue of ladies’s well being and rights have to be broader in scope and will acknowledge the context through which ladies “exercise their autonomy.”
The occasion additionally suggested that empowering ladies ought to be achieved by giving them the power to “speak about their priorities and concerns, rather than seeking to elevate the voices of some while repressing the voices of others.”
The Conservative MPs didn’t attend the press convention on Monday, being the one occasion from the committee who have been absent.
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