OTTAWA – New Democrat Critic for International Cooperation John Rafferty (Thunder Bay-Rainy River) welcomed Minister Bev Oda’s comments that indicated the Government of Canada will provide funding for safe abortion services in countries where abortion is legal through CIDA’s Maternal Health Initiative.

“The decision to fund access to safe and legal abortion services as part of CIDA’s Maternal Health Initiative is a major step forward for women’s rights in these developing countries, and I applaud the Minister’s principled decision,” said Rafferty. “The announcement could have come sooner, but it is certainly the right thing to do.”

Rafferty’s comments follow a media report in the Ottawa Citizen in which Minister Oda linked CIDA’s Maternal Health Initiative to family planning and access to safe and legal abortions in developing countries where it is legal.

On funding abortion services, Oda offered the following quote; "As long as it is legal within the country and it's a legal procedure...if we were asked to help in that way, we would do that."

“I have also had the opportunity to travel to work and travel extensively in Africa, and I can tell you that improved access to safe and clean abortion facilities is greatly needed,” said Rafferty. “Ms. Oda’s trip seems to have opened her eyes to some important facts on the ground, and I welcome this new approach.”