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Welcome to our new website and this new column.
Thank you for your support of our Project Compassion appeal. Some of you have been in touch with me about the article Women: the Power to Change and raised your questions and concerns about Caritas’ support for the Millennium Development Goals (refer to Autumn edition of Caritas News).
As the Catholic development agency of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference and in line with Church teaching, Caritas Australia does not support abortion or sterilisation. In supporting the Millennium Development Goals, Caritas Australia does not support any interpretation of the term “Guarantee sexual and reproductive health and rights” which would suggest support for abortion or sterilization. Caritas Australia does not and has never funded any groups which have a pro-abortion agenda.
The MDGs are a vital tool in the international movement to challenge poverty. It is crucial that the hopes of the Millennium Development Goals are not manipulated in ways that promote abortion, sterilization or manipulation of sexual behaviour that ultimately destroys life and degrades human dignity.
As a Catholic organization, Caritas works in the area of “sexual rights” to protect and advance the human dignity of women and young girls. Particularly we support those who have been the victims of sexual exploitation; where women are trafficked for sexual exploitation; where the culture of machismo and aggression has often led to violence and rape against women and girl children.
It is the underlying principle of human dignity as articulated in our Catholic tradition that guides all our understanding of “rights based” language. Caritas condemns an interpretation of “sexual rights” that promotes sexual promiscuity and particularly violence against women or girl children.
It may be of some use to see how we put such principles and a Catholic approach to rights into practice through some of our Caritas programs.
Examples of Caritas Australia programs supporting MDGs 3, 4 and 5
In developing programs that meet the 3rd, 4th and 5th Millennium Development Goals, Caritas is supporting the rights of women to obtain appropriate healthcare which treats and educates in scientifically and accurate ways in order to improve the health indicators for women, their children and all members of the family. Examples of this are:
Ante-natal Sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs) screening and Treatment Programs, Simbu Province, PNG working with the National Catholic Health Service of PNG.Success in reducing STIs especially in pregnant women, their partners and new born babies through counseling, screening, and treatment of STIs.
MeriPath Cervical Screening Program, PNGCervical cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in PNG, also the most preventable and curable. Community education, training of health specialists, analysis of pap smears, advice of follow-up treatment.
Caring for the Rape Victims, Goma Diocese, Democratic Republic of CongoCaring for women, girls and child victims of sexual violence with medical care, counselling, HIV testing; caring for pregnant women victims of rape; organising counselling sessions to reconcile conflicting couples where the wife has been a rape victim; providing women victims of rape who are household heads with income generating activities.
Safe Motherhood Project, BangladeshEnsuring safe delivery of babies; decreasing the rate of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity; and increasing extended family participation in maternal and infant care through the training of village midwives.
I thank you for your generous support of the work of Caritas and our Project Compassion appeal. Thank you to those who have raised these concerns which I believe are alleviated in the actual work of Caritas in the field as well as in its representations to governments and at the international level.
Sincerley,
Jack de Groot CEO Caritas Australia
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