Education vs. legislation: tackling sex-selective abortion

In seeking an end to sex-selective abortion in Canada, two main camps emerge: those who want legislation to hinder abortions based on the sex of a fetus and those calling for educational campaigns to combat cultural sex inequalities.

The natural sex ratio at birth is 105 boys per 100 girls

Sex-selective abortion – the practice of getting an abortion because the fetus is not the desired sex – is prevalent in some regions and countries where cultural factors foster a preference for sons. Recent analyses of census data suggests sex-selective abortion is an issue in Canada, too, although much less practiced than in countries like India and China.

Banning sex-selective abortion in Canada is difficult. Some would like to see the federal government place restrictions that target abortion. Currently there are none. Others think education is the answer.  

The issue of sex-selective abortion was brought to the forefront in a Jan. 16 editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). Then-interim editor-in-chief Rajendra Kale cites research done in Canada that found male-biased birth rates among South Asian immigrants whose previous children are girls. This means some couples with two daughters continue to abort female fetuses to ensure their third child is a son, Kale concludes.

Sex of fetus: To share or not to share?

To curb sex-selective abortion in Canada, Kale proposes that the sex of a fetus not be disclosed until after 30 weeks of pregnancy, before which such information is "medically irrelevant."

Gwen Landolt, national vice-president of REAL Women of Canada, a women’s organization headquartered in Ottawa, agrees with Kale. Because an ultrasound is a routine procedure in every woman’s pregnancy and covered by provincial healthcare, it is a way some could practice sex-selection, she said.

"If you were to say the gender was not to be disclosed, it isn’t going to hurt many women," Landolt said. "They can find out after 30 weeks so they can paint the walls pink or blue, but it isn’t going to make a difference medically speaking. If every woman on pre-natal care can find the gender, then some of them will use that information to abort if it’s female."

Improving the status of women is a better option than withholding sex information to address an issue that exists in "very select communities," said Vicki Saporta, president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation.

The National Abortion Federation represents abortion practitioners across North America.

"They need to tailor public education in those communities where it may be a problem and not deny all women in Canada access to medical information they need and want," Saporta said.

Curbing the problem

Some groups are calling for the government to restrict sex-selective abortion.

Along with North Korea and China, Canada is one of few countries that does not have legislation restricting abortion.

Despite likely opposition, legislation could help prevent sex-selective abortion in the country, said André Schutten, legal counsel and Ontario director for the Association for Reformed Political Action Canada (ARPA).

ARPA seeks to introduce Reformed Christian values into Canadian policy.

"There are radical views ... that say any restriction whatsoever on abortion is the beginning of the end ... the beginning of criminalizing women, throwing them in jail for having an abortion ... of back-alley abortions with coat hangers and that kind of stuff -- all of that is very loaded rhetoric," Schutten said.

"I think that we need to have a reasonable discussion in Canada about the law. Let’s start taking steps that would at least bring us in line with international standards."

Still, there is the fear that any restrictions placed on abortion would threaten a woman’s right to choose.

Agathe Gramet-Kedzior, acting executive director for Canadians for Choice, said she doesn’t think legislation is the answer.

Refusing to disclose the sex of a fetus would go against a woman’s autonomy and her right to make her own choice, Gramet-Kedzior said.

"We don’t believe that will actually change anything," she said. "If women and families have an incentive to choose boys over girls, this is a cultural belief and practice and there needs to be education campaigns and work done on the status of women in society so we are valued to the same extent as boys and men."

Spreading awareness

Save the Girl is a grassroots initiative in Brampton, Ont., co-founded by Amrita Kumar-Ratta to spread awareness of sex-selective abortion in her community. Education is the best tactic to address the issue, Kumar-Ratta said. She said girls and women from countries like India and China need to know they are not "trapped in a cultural ideal of gender inequality" and that their opinions matter.

Kumar-Ratta said that although she is not against abortion in all cases, there needs to be some mechanism for preventing sex-selective abortion across Canada, as there is nothing stopping a woman from learning the sex of the fetus and getting an abortion elsewhere in the country with no questions asked.

"There needs to be ... questioning to get an idea about the woman’s circumstances," Kumar-Ratta said. "A lot of people will say ‘if she wants to get rid of a child because of her sex, who are we to stop her?’ But I think eventually if we continue with this mindset, the sex ratios are going to be disastrous."

Sex ratios around the world

Red indicates countries with sex ratios that are biologically impossible without human intervention. These rates range from 1.08-1.13.

Medium pink indicates countries with sex ratios on the high borders of what is considered normal. These rates range from 1.07-1.08.

Light pink indicates countries with normal sex ratios. These rates range from 1.01-1.06.