Maternal madness

How an initiative to help mothers and children in the developing world became all about abortion

March 24, 2010 | by Andrea Mrozek , Manager of Research and Communications, Institute of Marriage and Family Canada
PDF:  Maternal madness

Endnotes

  1. McDonald, K., McCort, K., McCarney, R., Dendys, C., Morley, D., Fisher, N. and Toycen, D. (January 20, 2010). Putting the world’s poor on the G8 agenda. Action Canada for Population and Development. Retrieved March 24, 2010 from www.acpd.ca/print/57
  2. Harper, S. (January 26, 2010). G8 agenda: Focus on human welfare, The Toronto Star, p. A13.
  3. Journalist Brian Lilley is approached by Action Canada employee, Jennifer Kitts who explains that “family planning is key to reducing maternal mortality and infant deaths.” Lilley goes on to recount what happened: “Now I quickly understood how family planning could reduce maternal death but when I asked her to explain how family planning could help children live past their 5th birthday, Ms. Kitts became nervous and asked me to turn off my recorder. I asked her the question again and she told me she would have to do the interview later. The coin eventually dropped; the people at Action Canada plan to reduce infant mortality by reducing the number of infants born. A major part of family planning for ACPD is abortion.”
    Lilley, B. (January 26, 2010). Reduce infant and maternal deaths, Harper says G8 must act. Examiner.com. Retrieved March 24, 2010 from
    http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-22884-Canada-Politics-Examiner~y2010m1d26-Reduce-infant-and-maternal-deaths-Harper-says-G8-must-act
  4. Berthiaume, L. (February 3, 2010). Harper's maternal, child health speech 'political opportunism': Stephen Lewis. Embassy. Retrieved March 24, 2010 from http://www.embassymag.ca/page/view/maternal-02-03-2010
  5. Susan Delacourt’s Toronto Star blog mentioned these sources on February 3, 2010.  Retrieved March 24, 2010 from http://thestar.blogs.com/politics/2010/02/not-so-much-of-a-surprise-part-2.html
  6. Libin, K. (February 3, 2010). Ignatieff’s fine line between pro-choice and pro-abortion. National Post, p. A1.
  7. Morrison, N. (February 18, 2010). Catholic Register takes on Ignatieff. CBC News. Retrieved March 24, 2010 from  http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2010/02/catholic-register-takes-on-ignatieff.html
  8. Clark, C. (March 17, 2010). Birth control won’t be in G8 plan to protect mothers, Tories say; ‘Signature’ initiative meant to save lives, Cannon says, ruling out contraception. Globe and Mail, p. A1.
  9. Playing politics with motherhood. (March 19, 2010). The Toronto Star, p. A22.
  10. Retrieved March 24, 2010 from http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4360697&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&File=5
  11. The brief says: “We call on you to contact your government’s foreign ministry and arrange a meeting with the person responsible for the G8 and/or G20 summits. We encourage you to ask them to write a letter to the Canadian government expressing support for a comprehensive approach to addressing maternal and child health, with explicit reference to the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights, particularly access to family planning, including contraception."
    Action Canada for Population and Development. (March 17, 2010). Call to action: Maternal and child health at the G8 Summit. Retrieved March 24, 2010 from http://www.acpd.ca/node/62