Dr Rhona Mahony, the Master of the National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street has told a Labour Party gathering in Kildare that the pro-life amendment should be repealed “for a variety of reasons relating to women’s health”. In Britain the ‘health’ ground accounts for the vast majority of that country’s almost 200,000 abortions annually.
She continued: “We have in Ireland terminations only when there is a substantial risk to the life of the mother that can be removed only by terminating the pregnancy,” she said. This poses difficulties, she said, because doctors are making decisions based on risk.
“This poses great difficulties prior to foetal viability because we are making decisions based on risk, trying to quantify a risk and also in some cases we have to wait until a woman is sick enough to qualify. In some cases, that is medical roulette”.
Ms Mahony said she was unhappy with her patients travelling to Britain for abortions. She said the current law did not allow her to care for them once they chose that option and travel of itself was stressful and risky.
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has recommended that the UK change its abortion law so that selective abortion on the grounds of foetal impairment would be outlawed. It also expressed concern about end of life matters and affirmed both that the right to life is absolute and persons with disabilities should always be treated equally and not be perceived as lacking “a good and decent life”.
Concerning unborn persons with disabilities, the statement of Concluding Observations said: “The Committee is concerned about perceptions in society stigmatizing persons with disabilities as living a life of less value and the termination of pregnancy at any stage on the basis of foetal impairment. The Committee recommends that the State party changes abortion law accordingly. Women’s rights to reproductive and sexual autonomy should be respected without legalizing selective abortions on ground of foetus deficiency.”
Regarding end-of-life matters, the statement said: “The Committee observes with concern the substituted decision-making in matters of termination or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and care that is inconsistent with the right to life of persons with disabilities as equal and contributing members of society. The Committee recalls that the right to life is absolute from which no derogations are permitted and recommends that the State party adopt a plan of action aimed at eliminating perceptions towards persons with disabilities as not having “a good and decent life”, but rather recognising persons with disabilities as equal persons and part of the diversity of humankind, and ensure access to life-sustaining treatment and/or care.”
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CRPD/Shared%20Documents/GBR/CRPD_C_GBR_CO_1_28817_E.docx
While women have proved they can be the main breadwinner in a marriage, and men can be the main home-maker new research out of the University of Illinois finds that couples who go against the age-old gender norms are actually at a higher risk of damaging their psychological well-being.
Karen Kramer and Sunjin Pak of the University of Illinois examined data on nearly 1,500 men and 1,800 women, aged between 52 and 60, who had participated in theUS National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth. They found that men’s well-being decreased once they had left the workforce to tend to household matters, while the inverse wasn’t true for women. In fact, their findings showed that women who became the breadwinner of their family reported more symptoms of depression.
“We observed a statistically significant and substantial difference in depressive symptoms between men and women in our study,” said Kramer, who is a professor of human development and family studies. “The results supported the overarching hypothesis: Well-being was lower for mothers and fathers who violated gendered expectations about the division of paid labor, and higher for parents who conformed to these expectations.”
Even among the more egalitarian-minded couples, differences arose. Women in that subgroup experienced better mental health when their wages and share of the family’s income increased. However, regardless of their beliefs, men’s mental health took a hit when their earnings as a proportion of the family income shrank – suggesting perhaps that “work identity and (the) traditional role of primary earner are still critical for men, even when they have a more egalitarian gender ideology,” the researchers wrote.
Australia’s postal vote on same-sex marriage will go ahead this month after the High Court dismissed a challenge against it. The court handed down its decision 24 hours after submissions closed following a two day hearing. Same-sex marriage advocates had launched two cases, that were heard simulatenously, in a bid to stop the vote. Ballots will now be sent out from next week and all votes must be returned by November 7. The result will be announced on November 15.
Liberal Senator Eric Abetz, a vocal opponent to legalising gay marriage, welcomed the court’s decision. He said the vote would allow “forgotten” Australians to have their say despite “elites” trying to stifle democracy.
“Following the High Court case brought by self-appointed elites trying to stifle the Australian people being thrown out, I am pleased that all Australians will have their say on marriage,” Senator Abetz said in a statement posted to social media. “This case was hypocrisy writ-large from the left like Andrew Wilkie who used the exact same process to extract funding from the Gillard/Brown Government. Democracy is an infinite good and political elites should never seek to stand in the way of the people having their say. This plebiscite will give all Australians, especially the forgotten people who are concerned about the consequences for free speech, freedom of religion and parental choice, to have their say.”
Opposition leader Tony Abbott has taken aim at Labour party leader Bill Shorten, accusing him of “elitist bullying” after he gave a statement saying he would legislate same-sex marriage regardless of the people’s vote. This could be done as the result of the vote will not be binding on parliament “Shorten has just said that he’ll legislate SSM regardless of the people’s vote”, Abbott tweeted. “This is the kind of elitist bullying that people so dislike and are rightly concerned to reject.”
Twenty-seven babies over a 17-year period who survived abortions were left to die without any medical care, the State Parliament of Western Australia (WA) has been told. Replying on behalf of Health Minister Roger Cook, Parliamentary Secretary Alanna Clohesy made the admission in response to a question from a Liberal Party Member, Nick Goiran, who wants a parliamentary inquiry into abortion.Twenty-one of the babies were 20 weeks gestation or more.
The admission came as the Queensland parliament considered a bill to totally decriminalise abortion in the State. Latest figures for WA show around 8,000 unborn children are aborted each year. Based on the WA and Queensland statistics, a dozen or more children could be born alive each year only to die after struggling for breath. Nick Goiran’s campaigning since 2010 has revealed that children have been aborted late term (post 20 weeks) for disabilities including dwarfism, cleft palate and Down syndrome, contravening the State’s laws only allowing abortion post 20 weeks for “serious disabilities” or significant medical conditions affecting the mother.
A spokesperson for pro-life organization, Emily’s Voice, said, “The children received no medical care or comfort because the mothers, the medical profession and society demanded dead children. The Defence of Human Life in WA has organised a petition demanding an inquiry, and we encourage supporters in the West to add their names in opposition to this crime against defenceless children.”
The Children’s Rights Alliance has called for the urgent implementation of the sections of the Child and Family Relationships Act that ban anonymous sperm and egg donations in assisted human reproduction.
“Children have a right to know their identity. The Act is important because it seeks to protect children’s identity by banning the use of anonymous donations in assisted human reproduction,” said chief executive Tanya Ward. “It also clarifies parentage for children who are conceived this way, establishing a legal relationship between them and their parents.” The law allows children produced in this way to have two fathers or two mothers, or just one parent as well as a mother and a father.
Ms Ward pointed out that many adoptions were not recorded properly, “causing immeasurable damage to people by not being able to access their past and their history”.
UCC law lecturer Dr Deirdre Madden said the rights of children to access information on the identity of donors should take priority, even if this caused supply issues for fertility clinics.
Neither Dr Madden nor the Children’s Rights Alliance believe in the right of a child to a mother and a father.
A powerful group of Tory MPs yesterday pressed Theresa May to do more to support marriage and the family.
The 44 MPs, including three former Cabinet ministers, called for bigger tax breaks for married couples and for school pupils to be taught the benefits of marriage.
Their 18-point family manifesto said that fatherhood should be promoted and fathers helped to assume their family responsibilities. It said that ‘couple penalties’ in the tax and benefit system that encourage mothers and fathers to live apart should be removed.
One of the 44, Congleton MP Fiona Bruce, said family life must be strengthened ‘if the Government is to achieve its welcome aims to increase social mobility, deliver social justice, and make Britain a country that works for everyone, not just a privileged few.’
Supermarket chain Lidl has apologised for airbrushing Christian crosses out of images on some of its food packaging, after being hit by criticism on social media.
The packaging of some of its Greek-themed products depicts images of the island of Santorini’s domed blue churches, but they are missing the crosses mounted on top.
“We are sorry for any offence caused by the artwork on our Eridanous range. We can confirm that we will be revising the design as soon as possible,” the German discounter said in a statement.
Lidl said its product design was not intended to convey any ideological standpoint.
“We made a mistake in the most recent revision of the product design and are now treating the issue with the highest priority,” Lidl said.
