Both chambers of the U.S. Congress plan to take up this week what purports to be an innocent bill to help women around the world. Unfortunately, the proposed International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) also would promote worldwide access to abortion services and export a hostile, anti-family, pro-gay agenda on nations, by using it as a bargaining tool.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will likely try to take up their version of the measure (HR 4594) on Wednesday during a markup hearing. The Democrat-controlled committee could try to slip-in the billion-dollar abortion program and get it passed without a recorded vote – a preferred scenario before any election.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will also review its version of the bill (S. 2982) on Wednesday.
There is little coincidence in the timing – days before Congress adjourns until after the election – or the motive – feminists groups have an aggressive global media campaign to influence Congress to act.
Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, political commentator for the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, said the urban myths promoted by liberal feminist groups are long-standing and dangerous.
"Further, the urban myths continue alongside the long-standing practice of feminists equating a lack of 'reproductive services' with 'domestic violence.'
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"The I-VAWA would allocate $10 million a year to the United Nations Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM (Section 201), one of the major U.N. agencies devoted to promoting the Millennium Development Goals, which prominently feature reproductive and gender rights.
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"The broad definitions of 'violence' and the use of terms like 'psychological harm' and 'coercion' leave plenty of room for false accusations of abuse that will break up families and increase welfare dependence. The bill establishes an 'Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues' — what some have called a 'feminist czar'…
"Though these vague, nebulous goals are dressed up to sound wonderful and disguise the intent of the ideologues who promote them, their meaning can be as misleading — and disastrous — as the campaign slogan of "hope" and "change."
TAKE ACTION
Help stop I-VAWA in its tracks. No taxpayer dollars should be used to promote abortion and anti-family policies.
Finally, please call Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the Ranking Member on the committee at 202-226-8467.
Please encourage her to resist the feminist demands to support this bill. She needs to hear from thousands of prolife Americans TODAY.
Contact: Catherine Snow
Date Published: September 27, 2010
