Promotion of abortion and gender ideology in the annual report of the European Parliament

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The European Parliament reissued an ideological document promoting abortion and gender theory. Like any other year, MEPs adopted the annual report on human rights and democracy around the world and the EU policy on the subject. The 2018 report once again promotes the term "sexual and reproductive rights", which conceals a demand to extend access to prenatal murder. The authors of the resolution also call for the EU to adopt, contrary to its competence, the Istanbul Gender Convention, which strikes at the good of families.

In this year's resolution on the state of human rights and democracy, the European Parliament drew attention to the alleged increase in violence against women. The document strongly calls for ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention by the EU. It also emphasizes the need to 'eradicate all forms of gender-based violence' (section 34). Meanwhile, the EU's competence to adopt a treaty that largely regulates the issue of substantive criminal law is questionable. Moreover, numerous studies confirm that the ideological concept of violence and gender described in the treaty is wrong. The document wrongly identifies the root of the problem of violence, completely ignoring social pathologies (such as addiction to alcohol, gambling or other stimulants, as well as the breakdown of family ties) which are its real cause.

Moreover, in the EP’s resolution, extremely controversial statements were made that 'health and sexual and reproductive rights are fundamental human rights' (section F), while 'difficulties in gaining access to sexual and reproductive health constitute unacceptable violations of fundamental human rights'. Furthermore, the EP condemned "violations of women's reproductive and sexual rights, including denial of access to relevant services" (section 35). Importantly, the term "reproductive and sexual rights" has never been adopted in any applicable international treaty. In non-binding documents signed by states, the terms "reproductive rights" and "reproductive and sexual health" appear, and the category of "sexual rights" has been deliberately excluded from them.

Nevertheless, within these vague concepts, pro-abortionist circles postulate extending access to the legal killing of unborn children, using for example the perverse argument that providing a 'safe' abortion would reduce maternal mortality. Meanwhile, action in the latter area should focus on improving access to health services for pregnant women and improving perinatal care, including psychological care, as well as support for parents expecting a child. According to the agreed documents, in particular of the Programme of Action of the 1994 Cairo Conference (Art. 8.25), abortion may not be considered as a method of family planning and states are obliged to minimize the occurrence of abortion. However, when calling for the protection of children's rights, MEPs do not mention the fate of unborn children and the need to protect their lives (section 37).

"The European Parliament's 2018 report on human rights and democracy around the world and the EU's policy on this subject once again contains ideological demands. Prenatal murder as a human right and gender ideology are being implicitly promoted," commented Magdalena Olek, Deputy Director of the Ordo Iuris International Law Centre.