U.N. women's group's work not yet complete, Vatican nuncio says

Published: 2007-03-08

UNITED NATIONS (CNS) -- While lauding the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women for adopting resolutions on ending female genital mutilation and addressing forced and early marriage, its work is not complete until it also addresses "the important issues of prenatal sex selection, infanticide and son preference," said Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's permanent observer to the U.N. "The practice of sex selective abortions is not a new practice. The international community has raised this issue during the major conference on women. Even recent reports by the U.N. secretary-general have continued to raise this as an issue of concern that must be addressed," said Archbishop Migliore in a March 7 statement. "Despite its importance, the Commission on the Status of Women has remained silent on prenatal sex selection, infanticide and son preference," he added, saying "the time has come" for the commission "to break the silence on these important issues." In a separate March 7 address during a U.N. debate on the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment, Archbishop Migliore touted the use of microfinance, the practice of lending small amounts of money to women to start businesses.

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