Abortion Issue Proposed to Be Settled at Referendum

At a press conference at UNIAN today, the head of the subcommittee on international legal matters of the gender policy of the Supreme Council’s Committee on Human Rights, national minorities and interethnic relations, Olena Bondarenko, stated that approval of the law on the prohibition of abortions will cause a dramatic increase in the number of illegal abortions in Ukraine due to the dramatic impoverishment of the population.

“Illegal abortion means death and mutilation of women. An abortion is a great psychological trauma, and sooner or later, women come to moral torment, to God asking for forgiveness. But at the same time, today, Ukrainian women are engaged in the public, political and business activities. In the end, they simply work and are often the only breadwinner in their families. This is a fact,” said the deputy.

According to Bondarenko, the prohibition of abortions brings back an idea “that the only function of women is the reproduction one that is that she is only to bear children and look after them.”

“But what legislative act can we use to oblige husbands to work and to duly sustain their families instead of wandering in search of jobs? Or simply not to work because their wives support the families? What should single women do? Apparently, one should legally prohibit single women to date men. We can end up with such things of which it will be extremely difficult to get out,” noted Mrs. Bondarenko.

The deputy referred to the experience of other countries where abortions are illegal and noted that it yields no expected result. “Women from those countries cross the borders and absolutely legally terminate their pregnancy in other countries. Therefore, the prohibition does not save the situation.”

She expressed her conviction that mothers who are not able to support the children will leave them in asylums. Bondarenko stressed that she supported the initiative of the church “as a Christian and a believer.” At the same time, the deputy noted that, probably, “the church should make sure there are more well-maintained asylums run by churches to look after the abandoned children.”

“As a rule, and it is obvious today, children are abandoned by those women who can see that their children are sick and require treatment. Therefore, there will be more abandoned sick children in asylums and children’s homes,” said Bondarenko.

“Even the best legislative act cannot solve the problem of abortions. Apparently, one should ask both women and men and families. And I can see the only way to do that – a nationwide referendum,” stressed the deputy.