Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-03-13-Speech-4-044"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20080313.3.4-044"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs |
substitute; Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America (2007-03-14--2009-07-13)3
|
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, Mrs Uca’s report deals with the important issue of gender equality in development cooperation. Unfortunately, the rapporteur’s undoubtedly positive intentions are undermined by an excessive and controversial presentation of the issue of health and sexual and reproductive rights. This subject ought not to be treated controversially, but the report uses the paradoxical language so frequently employed in the European Union. It is precisely this strange use of language that is distancing the EU from its citizens and turning it into a unintelligible, alienated bureaucratic machine. That is also how we are creating and nourishing opponents of the EU.
I therefore hope the PPE-DE Group’s amendments will be accepted by this House. Why? Because by “health and reproductive rights” the author and promoters of this report mean the opposite of what those words actually say. “Reproductive rights” does not mean the restriction of reproduction. What we are doing is giving a positive name to something that has negative consequences, namely the restriction of reproduction. That is outright deception.
Those who advocate restricting the population in poor countries and promoting contraception or abortion should not hide behind terms like health and reproductive rights. We should call a spade a spade. It seems to me they don’t want to do so because they suspect the European Union should not really be concerning itself with such matters. Is there not something dubious about Europeans promoting and funding contraception and abortion outside Europe? In Africa and Asia, just as in the EU, it is individual states that should decide what policy to pursue in this area. The report says women should decide. But it is we who are telling these women in Africa what to do. I think there is some confusion here.
Another point: there is no relation of cause and effect between having a large number of children and equality. The two things are unconnected, and I fail to understand why this report makes a connection between them."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples