As you may be aware, abortion is a hot topic these days. Beyond the usual Pro Choice vs Pro Life debate, the conservative Harper government's recent announcement that they will not support abortion funding for women in developing nations has sparked hot debate both at home and abroad.
Canada is now the only nation in the G8 who is refusing to support funding for abortion, in addition to other measures such as contraception and maternal health care. The controversy, it seems, stems partly from the fact that the Harper government waited until last Monday to announce, "for the first time that Canada will not fund abortions in its G8 child and maternal health-care initiative for developing countries" (CBC News).
This was good news for Canada's anti-abortion groups, who demonstrated their support for Harper's conservative policy, in Ottawa and across the country (The Globe and Mail). Activists took to Parliament Hill, calling for an end to abortion and claiming that abortion "constitutes a crime against humanity" (The Globe and Mail). Although Harper has said that he does not want to reopen the abortion debate here in Canada, it would seem that, in a way, he already has.
I'm interested to see where this goes ... are we losing our status as a forward-thinking, accepting nation? Will Canadian women have to fight, again, for the right to choose? Given that we now stand alone against the rest of the G8 on this issue for women around the world, I'm starting to wonder if this is the case.
What do YOU think?
Candice
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