In a sea of pink flags at Holland Park, volunteers took the time to answer questions about imbalanced birth rates in Canada on International Day of the Girl.

Tabitha Ewert, the legal counsel for We Need a Law, said the goal of Thursday害羞草研究所檚 (Oct. 11) event was to shine a spotlight on gender-based violence that happens around the world, 害羞草研究所渁nd even here in Canada.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淪pecifically, we want to talk about sex-selection abortion which is pre-born women who are targeted just because they害羞草研究所檙e women,害羞草研究所� Ewert said.

She said this is the first time the group has done an all pink flag display, adding that the displays are usually pink and blue flags.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檒l either have 100,000 (flags) to represent the 100,000 abortions that happen every year in Canada or sometimes we害羞草研究所檒l do 10,000 or a smaller one.害羞草研究所�

Sex-selection abortion, she said, is not widely talked about.

害羞草研究所淚 think when it does get talked about, it gets talked about as a problem in other countries 害羞草研究所� that害羞草研究所檚 generally the way people talk about it. They don害羞草研究所檛 realize it害羞草研究所檚 happening here in Canada too.害羞草研究所�

A news release from We Need a Law states that researchers 害羞草研究所減oint to sex-selective abortion, which is allowed in Canada, as a contributor to this imbalance.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淣aturally, about 105 boys are born for every 100 girls,害羞草研究所� according to the release.

In South Asian families with two girls and one or more reported abortions after that, 害羞草研究所渢he ratio shifts up to 280 boys for every 100 girls,害羞草研究所� the news release adds.

害羞草研究所淚t was initially thought that sex-selective abortions in South Asian communities would decrease with the next generation. This most recent study, however, confirms that second-generation South Asian women, born in Canada, continue to show this preference for boys,害羞草研究所� states the release, referencing a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Ewert said the focus is not on the community, but that sex-selection abortions are happening at all.

害羞草研究所淐anada is a multicultural country. We value the fact that we have people from all over the world here, so if it affects one community, it affects everyone,害羞草研究所� she said.

The release states that abortion 害羞草研究所渄isproportionately targets baby girls.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淎bortion is not about a woman害羞草研究所檚 right to choose 害羞草研究所� it is about taking away a child害羞草研究所檚 right to live, and it makes a statement about the value, or lack thereof, that we place on women in Canada when we allow sex-selective abortion,害羞草研究所� the release reads.

Tabitha Ewert, legal counsel for We Need A Law, explains why there are 50,000 pink flags at Holland Park today.

害羞草研究所� Lauren Collins (@laurenpcollins1)

Ewert said it害羞草研究所檚 important that sex-selection abortion doesn害羞草研究所檛 continue to occur in Canada.

害羞草研究所淲e understand that rights are really important and that should start even before birth.害羞草研究所�

We Need a Law, Ewert said, 害羞草研究所渁dvocates for fetal interest to be protected by Canadian law.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e having people sign a petition that calls on the government to condemn sex-selection abortion.害羞草研究所�

We Need a Law, according to its website, was launched in 2012.

Its three main initiatives are: Protect a Woman害羞草研究所檚 Right to Have Her Child, Defend Girls and End Late-Term Abortion.

Thursday害羞草研究所檚 event was part of the Defend Girls initiative.

For more information, visit .

lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com
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