Canada: No More Funding For War-Rape Victims
Canada has decided to shelf its funding on overseas projects that deal with war and rape victims. Christian Paradis, an international development minister, said the government would no longer release any fund for the victims of war-rape or teenage brides who have the access to abortion. He cited this after meeting the Canadian Network, adding the government would still continue its commitment as proclaimed at the G8 summit 3 years back in Muskoka.
The Canadian prime minister said there were many other more important issues to address rather than abortion services. This is why Canada would exclude the unnecessary funding from its $3 billion budget to provide more focused initiatives on child and maternal health. Paradis said the government's intentions had been clear as set in Muskoka so it is only logical to do what is deemed essential.
Meanwhile, the intentions of the Conservative government were indistinct the previous week after supporting initiatives to deal with forced marriages and sexual violence at the United Nations. The previous statement from the government, on the contrary, shows its disinterest to monitor the expenditure of each dollar that it funds to larger multilateral aid organizations apart from the G8 commitment.
In 2010, Margaret Biggs, head of the Canadian International Development Agency, said Canada would fund agencies that provide referrals for abortion services even though the government would indirectly fund abortion by principle.
However, Paradis expressed the government's sympathy for rape victims during the war. He said the Canadian government would take measures to support the victims but was unclear how this would be implemented.
Opposition parties lambasted this declaration of non-financial support of the government to war-rape victims. The government was accused of undertaking ideological preferences in developing policies against the victims. Hedy Fry, a Liberal critic, said the government should not shy away from funding abortion where it is legal to do so.