Additional Comments by the Australian Greens
Overview
1.1
The Australian Greens do not support sex selective abortion as it is
indicative of entrenched gender inequality. However, we assert that restricting
health services for women and restricting women’s reproductive rights through
this bill is not an appropriate or useful way to address that inequality. A
woman's right to be treated equally and with dignity and respect must not be
infringed by placing restrictions on abortion services.
Comments
1.2
The Australian Greens are extremely disappointed that the majority of
the Committee did not put forward any recommendations on this bill. Analysing
submissions and putting forward recommendations is a key purpose of the Senate
Committee process.
1.3
Submissions from Reproductive Choice Australia and other organisations
repeatedly emphasised that there is no evidence that this practice occurs in
Australia or that Medicare is being used to fund such procedures. This is
supported by looking at Australia's population figures.
1.4
Senator Madigan himself admits he has no evidence to suggest that sex
selective abortions are systematically occurring in Australia. In countries
where this does occur, such as China and India, there is clear gender-skewing
in population numbers.
1.5
International human rights agreements support a women's right to control
their own fertility. The Beijing Declaration affirms that 'the right of all
women to control all aspects of their health, including their own fertility, is
basic to their empowerment.' Further, the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination Against Women - Article 12 requires that measures be
taken to ensure 'on a basis of equality of men and women, access to health care
services, including those related to family planning.' Women's Health Victoria
state in their submission that 'Restrictions on abortions restrict this access'
and that restrictions on abortion jeopardise a women's right to choose if, when
and how many children she will have.
1.6
Submissions which indicate they do not support the passage of the bill
include: Women's Health Victoria, Public Health Association Australia,
Australian Medical Association, Women's Centre for Health Matters, NSW Council
for Civil Liberties, Children by Choice, Liberty Victoria, Women’s Abortion
Action Campaign, Women’s Legal Services NSW, Women’s Legal Services Australia,
and Reproductive Choice Australia.
1.7
In the 2008 paper, "From Sorting Sperm to Sorting Society"
Edgar Dahl noted that a follow-up study of 578 patients having prenatal diagnosis
at one Melbourne clinic found that 'none of the women had a termination for
foetal sex' and that in countries where social, religious or economic
conditions do not support a preference for male or female children, including
USA, Britain and Australian, there is no evidence that such a preference
exists.
1.8
There is also the practical question of how such a law would ever be
enforced without risking the broader reproductive rights of Australian women.
1.9
Without any evidence for the practice, this bill is a waste of
government time and is a red herring to allow Senator Madigan to promote his
anti-abortion agenda. Senator Madigan and Democratic Labor Party are opposed to
safe and legal abortion. This bill addresses a non-existent problem.
1.10
The large number of submissions from individuals in support of this
bill, may do significant damage in raising fear and stigmatising women having
an abortion without a basis in fact.
1.11
The Reproductive Choice Australia submission notes: 'The tactic of
chipping away at women's reproductive rights by those who oppose safe abortion
for any woman for any reason – under the guise of a feminist concern about the
survival of female foetuses – is an anti-choice approach borrowed from the
United States. In America, the accumulation of small "victories" from
such unconscionable tactics has placed the reproductive autonomy of women in
many US states under sustained and serious threat'.
1.12
The Australian Greens do not support sex selective abortion, as it is
representative of entrenched gender inequality but there is no evidence that
this practice is occurring in Australia.
Recommendation
1.13
That the Health Insurance Amendment (Medicare Funding for Certain
Types of Abortion) Bill 2013 not be passed.
Senator Lee Rhiannon
Australian Greens spokesperson for
Women
Senator for New South Wales |
Senator
Richard Di Natale
Senator for Victoria |
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