Madam Speaker, I am presenting this petition today on behalf of Canadians who signed because they indicate that sex-selective abortion is legal, as Canada has no legal restrictions on abortion.
Sex-selective abortion is antithetical to our commitment to equality between men and women. A 2019 Dart and Maru/Blue poll conducted for the National Post showed that 84% of Canadians believe it should be illegal to have an abortion if the family does not want the child to be a certain sex. International organizations including the World Health Organization, United Nations Women and the United Nations Children's Fund have identified unequal sex ratios at birth as a growing problem internationally, and Canada's health care professionals recognize sex selection as a problem.
Therefore, the undersigned citizens of Canada call upon the House of Commons to pass a criminal code prohibition of sex-selective abortion.