Editor’s note. This come from SPUC–the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children
Garik Hayrapetyan, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Armenia’s assistant representative. Image: Yahoo News
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned that sex-selective abortion is seriously skewing the ratio of men to women in Armenia, according to Yahoo News.
The UNFPA reported that in 2012, there were 114 boys born for every 100 girls; the natural norm would be 102 boys for every 106 females. Sex-discriminatory abortions kill around 1,400 unborn girls in the former Soviet country each year – the third highest rate in the world.
[Yahoo also reported that “sex-discriminatory abortions become more prevalent with second and subsequent children.”]
Shortage of women
“In 10 to 20 years, we will face a shortage of women and — combined with a dramatic decline in fertility rates — that will lead to a serious demographic crisis,” warned Garik Hayrapetyan, UNFPA Armenia’s assistant representative.
“By 2060, some 100,000 potential mothers will not have been born in Armenia. We will become a society of single men.”
The UNFPA attributed Armenia’s sex-discriminatory abortions to “patriarchal structures” and a trend for smaller families, as well as easy access to prenatal scans and abortions.
“Extreme form of gender-based violence”
“Sex-selective abortion is an extreme form of gender-based violence which is responsible for the deaths of millions of baby girls around the world,” said SPUC’s Fiorella Nash, who has extensively researched the practice throughout the world.
Nash also responded to women’s rights groups in Armenia, who have opposed legislation, which included questioning a woman on her motives for abortion, and banning it after 12 weeks, aimed at reversing the female foeticide trend.
Abortion is the deadliest enemy against women
“Whilst it is commendable that women’s groups are tackling some of the factors behind gendercide, such as patriarchal attitudes and the poor status of women, it is completely dishonest to ignore the fact that abortion itself is the deadliest weapon against women,” Nash said, “Both legal and cultural change is necessary if unborn baby girls are to be protected.”