Abortion advocates at the United Nations (U.N.) were embarrassed in their latest attempt to hijack efforts to decrease pregnancy-related deaths. At a high-level panel on maternal deaths chaired by the head of U.N. Women, a new agency on women’s issues, Chile — a country where abortion is not legal — announced that it has received an award for achieving the lowest maternal mortality rate in Latin America.
The International Protect Life Award was presented to Chile a few days before by 30 organizations, including Concerned Women for America. The award celebrates that more Chilean women have safely delivered their babies than ever before.
Chile protects unborn children in their Constitution and through programs, including an ad campaign that promotes awareness that unborn children are members of the family. Chile’s representative told the U.N. panel that this campaign was begun under the administration of former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, the current head of U.N. Women and the moderator of the panel.
At least one panelist and several countries brashly declared abortion is a human right and a means to reduce maternal mortality. Yet none provided evidence that abortion reduces maternal deaths.
Chile’s representative pointed out that its success comes from promoting safe pregnancies, not abortion.
The U.N. has named reducing maternal mortality (the death of women during pregnancy or childbirth) as a top priority since 2000. Funding is channeled to eight priorities, known as the Millennium Development Goals. Abortion groups have pushed the U.N. and individual countries to adopt abortion as a means to reduce maternal mortality in order to gain legitimacy for the deadly procedure and channel development funds to their groups.
The CEDAW Committee (which implements the U.N.’s women’s rights treaty) criticized Chile in 1999 for prohibiting abortion, claiming the law increases maternal mortality.
Chile proves that protecting life and promoting women’s health go hand-in-hand. Sacrificing unborn children by legalizing abortion does not improve maternal health or a nation’s development.