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 Thursday91裸聊视频檚 (Oct. 11) event was to shine a spotlight on gender-based violence that happens around the world, 91裸聊视频渁nd even here in Canada.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淪pecifically, we want to talk about sex-selection abortion which is pre-born women who are targeted just because they91裸聊视频檙e women,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檒l either have 100,000 (flags) to represent the 100,000 abortions that happen every year in Canada or sometimes we91裸聊视频檒l do 10,000 or a smaller one.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淚 think when it does get talked about, it gets talked about as a problem in other countries 91裸聊视频� that91裸聊视频檚 generally the way people talk about it. They don91裸聊视频檛 realize it91裸聊视频檚 happening here in Canada too.91裸聊视频�

A news release from We Need a Law states that researchers 91裸聊视频減oint to sex-selective abortion, which is allowed in Canada, as a contributor to this imbalance.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淣aturally, about 105 boys are born for every 100 girls,91裸聊视频� according to the release.

In South Asian families with two girls and one or more reported abortions after that, 91裸聊视频渢he ratio shifts up to 280 boys for every 100 girls,91裸聊视频� the news release adds.

91裸聊视频淚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,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淐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,91裸聊视频� she said.

The release states that abortion 91裸聊视频渄isproportionately targets baby girls.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淎bortion is not about a woman91裸聊视频檚 right to choose 91裸聊视频� it is about taking away a child91裸聊视频檚 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,91裸聊视频� the release reads.

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

91裸聊视频� Lauren Collins (@laurenpcollins1)

Ewert said it91裸聊视频檚 important that sex-selection abortion doesn91裸聊视频檛 continue to occur in Canada.

91裸聊视频淲e understand that rights are really important and that should start even before birth.91裸聊视频�

We Need a Law, Ewert said, 91裸聊视频渁dvocates for fetal interest to be protected by Canadian law.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e having people sign a petition that calls on the government to condemn sex-selection abortion.91裸聊视频�

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

Its three main initiatives are: Protect a Woman91裸聊视频檚 Right to Have Her Child, Defend Girls and End Late-Term Abortion.

Thursday91裸聊视频檚 event was part of the Defend Girls initiative.

For more information, visit .

lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com
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