March
1, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com)
- The government
of Chile has received the International
Protect Life Award for its strong pro-life
policies, which are accompanied by the
lowest maternal mortality rate in Latin
America.
The
International Protect Life Committee,
which represents 30 non-governmental
organizations associated with the United
Nations, congratulated President Sebastián
Piñera and “all of the
people of Chile” for “Chile’s
outstanding achievements in several
areas relating to women’s health
and respect for life.”
The
committee highlighted the “Chile
Grows with You” program, which
is “meant to advocate for the
well-being and protection of young children,
and to assist parents in their responsibilities
to nurture their children. We wish to
congratulate Chile for the important
emphasis this program has given since
its beginning to promote awareness that
the unborn child is a member of the
family, and in need of care and protection.”
As
LifeSiteNews reported
in December of last year, the Chile
Grows with You program encourages Chileans
to respect the unborn with commercials
showing a baby inside his mother’s
womb, responding to events outside.
“My
child hears and experiences the world
just as I do. We’re connected!”
a mother says in a voice-over in one
of the commercials, and an announcer
says, “An invitation from the
government to protect children.”
Although
pro-abortion groups often claim that
legal abortion is necessary to protect
women from the dangers of childbirth,
the International Protect Life Committee
points out that “Chile has attained
the lowest maternal mortality rate in
all of Latin America! More Chilean women
have safely delivered their babies than
ever before! This is a great advancement
in the area of women’s health,
and an example for other countries working
to achieve the reduction of maternal
mortality, a key element of the UN Millennium
Development Goals.”
“Improving
women’s health and respecting
human life are key elements for all
countries who wish to achieve real development,”
remarked Julia Cardenal, one of the
signers of the letter to President Piñera.
All
abortion is illegal in Chile, although
in recent years the government of Michelle
Bachelet has acted to make the abortifacient
“morning after pill” available
to women. Oral contraceptives that can
also cause abortions are available in
Chile as well.