Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

Council of Europe Demands Georgia to Prohibit Gender Selection and Legal Abortion

October 5, 2011

PACE adopted Resolution on pre-natal gender selection in Armenia, Albania, Azerbaijan and Georgia on October 3.

Council of Europe member states should introduce laws prohibiting gender selection in the context of both assisted reproductive technologies and legal abortion, except when it is justified to avoid a serious hereditary disease. They should also consider recommending that public hospitals instruct doctors to withhold information about the gender of the fetus, or at least ensure that this information is given in a positive way. For their part, the governments of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia should do more to tackle the root causes of prenatal gender selection, collecting reliable data on this phenomenon and raising awareness amongst the public and health professionals.

Statistics show a worrying departure from the natural average gender ratio in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

The resolution was presented based on the report of the Swiss MP Doris Stump. The report notes that the ratio of boys to girls in Albania, Armenia and Azerbaijan is approximately 112 to 100 in Georgia – 11 to 110.

When adopting the resolution, PACE relied on the Doris Stamp’s Report who recommends the authorities to support trainings for medical personnel about negative impact of gender selection. The public awareness campaign should also aim to increase the female status in the society.

The resolution text is published on the official website of the CoE.

Interpresnews

News