Abortion Advocates Mark International Women’s Day With Protests Worldwide 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 8, 2006
New York, NY (LifeNews.com) — Abortion advocates marked International Women’s Day today with protests across the world. Various pro-abortion groups in numerous nations are marking the day with marches and other activities to highlight efforts to legalize abortion in South America and African nations.
The pro-abortion groups are using the day to highlight United Nations data showing one woman dies every minute because of complications during pregnancy or delivery.
However, pro-life group say those figures merely show the need for more modernized health care in second and third world nations.
They point to other UN figures indicating the maternal mortality rates are lower in nations with illegal abortion compared to those where abortions are legal.
"The world is starting to grasp that there is no policy more effective in promoting development, health and education than the empowerment of women and girls," U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said marking the day.
Looking at events worldwide, representatives of about 80 groups plan to participate in a pro-abortion march in Sao Paulo, Brazil, expected to draw 10,000 people. Pro-abortion groups are working feverishly to promote a bill in the Brazilian congress to legalize abortion.
In New Zealand, the Women’s National Abortion Action Campaign, is calling on increased funds for family planning efforts.
In India, advocates are highlighting the continued travesty of sex-selection abortions on female unborn babies, despite laws banning the practice.
New figures from the United Nations Populations Division, found countries with laws legalizing abortion have not seen a corresponding drop in the rate of maternal deaths.
The information is found in the "World Mortality Report: 2005" which the Population Division released in January. The UN says it’s the first of its kind and registers maternal and infant mortality for every nation.
According to the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, a pro-life group that lobbies at the UN, the report reveals that Russia, where abortion has long been considered a form of birth control, a maternal mortality rate of 67 deaths for every 100,000 births.
The rate is 17 deaths for every 100,000 births in the United States, which also has very permissive abortion laws.
On the other hand, CFHRI reports in its Friday Fax that Ireland and Poland have lower rates. Both countries have come under strong protest from abortion advocates, who even sent an abortion ship to Poland in order to promote abortions there.
Ireland has the lowest maternal mortality rate of Poland, the U.S. and Russia with just 5 deaths for every 100,000 births. Poland’s is also lower with 13 deaths for every 100,000 births.
Pro-abortion laws also do not decrease infant mortality, even when the number of abortions is subtracted from the number of infant deaths.
