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| 'Name and shame' call over gender abortion | 'Name and shame' call over gender abortion |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| An MP has called for people pressurising Asian women to abort their female foetuses to be "named and shamed" by the authorities. | |
| Labour's Virendra Sharma told the BBC Asian Network the practice was not cultural or religious and called for a legal framework to ban it. | Labour's Virendra Sharma told the BBC Asian Network the practice was not cultural or religious and called for a legal framework to ban it. |
| His comments came ahead of a Commons debate on a bill on gender abortion. | His comments came ahead of a Commons debate on a bill on gender abortion. |
| The 10-minute rule bill, tabled by Conservative MP Fiona Bruce, has cross-party support. | The 10-minute rule bill, tabled by Conservative MP Fiona Bruce, has cross-party support. |
| Ms Bruce has said her bill aims to "put beyond doubt that sex-selective abortion is not permitted in UK law". | Ms Bruce has said her bill aims to "put beyond doubt that sex-selective abortion is not permitted in UK law". |
| However, it is unlikely the law will change in the current Parliament. | However, it is unlikely the law will change in the current Parliament. |
| Mr Sharma said: "If nothing else, then name and shame those families or individuals who are putting pressure on the young girls. | Mr Sharma said: "If nothing else, then name and shame those families or individuals who are putting pressure on the young girls. |
| "What is most needed is the woman who is carrying the child needs to be empowered that she gets the support from society and from the system that if she is put under pressure, she can take the legal remedy against those people who are putting her under pressure." | "What is most needed is the woman who is carrying the child needs to be empowered that she gets the support from society and from the system that if she is put under pressure, she can take the legal remedy against those people who are putting her under pressure." |
| 'Threatened' | 'Threatened' |
| Campaigners have called the abortion of female foetuses in the UK a form of discrimination. | Campaigners have called the abortion of female foetuses in the UK a form of discrimination. |
| Rani Bilkhu, from the campaign group Jeena International, said British Asian women, as well as those born in South Asia and married to men in the UK, were aborting girls because of the cultural pressure to have sons - often from their in-laws. | Rani Bilkhu, from the campaign group Jeena International, said British Asian women, as well as those born in South Asia and married to men in the UK, were aborting girls because of the cultural pressure to have sons - often from their in-laws. |
| "We have a high rate of women coming to us and saying, 'We are being threatened and coerced to having abortions, we're being thrown down the stairs.' | "We have a high rate of women coming to us and saying, 'We are being threatened and coerced to having abortions, we're being thrown down the stairs.' |
| "There's also women who've actually had girls, and have been left in hospital wards, because they feel that they've shamed the family and that woman is cursed. | "There's also women who've actually had girls, and have been left in hospital wards, because they feel that they've shamed the family and that woman is cursed. |
| "Equally we know girls and families that aren't marriageable because they have five siblings who are all girls. This is a curse within our community that unfortunately isn't the curse of being a girl, it's about [the] curse of discrimination. | |
| "Today, we are looking for forced marriages and they've legislated against that. Both statutory agencies and communities now know that it is illegal to be forced into a marriage. | |
| "Equally, once this bill comes out, we can then make sure communities understand that it is illegal to abort on the basis of gender." | |
| Campaigners have noted research by Sylvie Dubuc, from the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford, that found a higher ratio of boys born to women of Indian origin having their third child. | Campaigners have noted research by Sylvie Dubuc, from the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford, that found a higher ratio of boys born to women of Indian origin having their third child. |
| It was 114:100, which is a lot higher than women of all backgrounds at 104:100. | It was 114:100, which is a lot higher than women of all backgrounds at 104:100. |
| Fiona Bruce's motion comes amid confusion over the law on gender-specific abortions. Following a Daily Telegraph investigation in 2012, the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge two doctors who were caught on camera agreeing to arrange abortions of female foetuses. | Fiona Bruce's motion comes amid confusion over the law on gender-specific abortions. Following a Daily Telegraph investigation in 2012, the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge two doctors who were caught on camera agreeing to arrange abortions of female foetuses. |
| The then director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer, said: "The law does not, in terms, expressly prohibit gender-specific abortions." | The then director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer, said: "The law does not, in terms, expressly prohibit gender-specific abortions." |
| He added that doctors had "wide discretion" whether to allow a woman to continue with her pregnancy, based on the mental and physical wellbeing of the mother. | He added that doctors had "wide discretion" whether to allow a woman to continue with her pregnancy, based on the mental and physical wellbeing of the mother. |
| At the time, the Department of Health issued updated rules saying the 1967 Abortion Act stated that abortion on the grounds of gender was illegal. | At the time, the Department of Health issued updated rules saying the 1967 Abortion Act stated that abortion on the grounds of gender was illegal. |
| It added that the two doctors who were required to approve abortions must consider women's individual circumstances and be ready to justify decisions. This was in response to concerns about the use of pre-signed forms. | It added that the two doctors who were required to approve abortions must consider women's individual circumstances and be ready to justify decisions. This was in response to concerns about the use of pre-signed forms. |
| However, the British Medical Association warned the updated rules failed to address the complexities and legalities around gender. | However, the British Medical Association warned the updated rules failed to address the complexities and legalities around gender. |