I’m writing to ask you to say NO to “wrong sex” abortions and stop Medicare funding of sex-selective abortions, so all Australian girls are protected. The practice of sex-selective abortion is all too common in cultures around the world where males are prized over females, meaning the practice of abortion disproportionately impacts girls. In some ethnic communities in Australia, the number of boys born is higher than what should be under normal biological circumstances. Women in such cultures may also face forced abortions or other violence and discrimination if they refuse to abort their daughters. When SBS commissioned the Australian Bureau of Statistics to look at the problem, it found Australia's overall average ratio is within the standard range, with 105.7 boys born for every 100 girls. However, in some ethnic communities, an average of 108.2 and 109.5 boys were born for every 100 girls. This means thousands of girls have gone missing in Australia. Taxes should not go to parents to choose the sex of their babies. Please stand up to stop the thousands of Australian girls who will go missing as a result of this abhorrent practice.

I’m writing to ask you to protect all Australian girls by stopping the Medicare funding of sex-selective abortions. Sex-selective abortion is a serious issue that affects many girls around the world. It’s estimated that over 140 million women and girls are missing worldwide because of such sex-selective practices. The Indian government has estimated that two million girls go “missing” from its population each year due to sex-selective abortion and other forms of discrimination that lead to premature death. This should not happen in Australia. But… In Australia, La Trobe University’s research into ‘missing girls’ said their findings indicate that “systematic discrimination against females starts in the womb”, with mothers in some ethnic communities recording the birth of sons at rates of 122 and 125 for every 100 daughters in later pregnancies. All abortion is harmful to women and children but aborting an Australian child on the basis of sex should be something we can all agree is wrong. Minister Greg Hunt, I want you to protect girls from this hidden violence and stop Medicare funding of sex-selective abortions.

I’m writing to ask you to protect all Australian girls by stopping Medicare funding of sex-selective abortions. Recent news reports told of one Brisbane IVF doctor who said he saw patients who admitted they had terminated pregnancies after the non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) at 10 weeks because the baby was the “wrong sex”. Parents are turning to IVF clinics “believing their perfect boy or girl can be custom made”. I’m asking you to say NO to “wrong-sex” abortions. I am asking you to place restrictions on sex-selective abortions and stop Medicare funding of abortions because of the unborn child’s sex. Both boys and girls provide value to our society. All abortion is harmful to women and children, but aborting a child on the basis of their sex should be something we can all agree is wrong. There should be no Medicare funding of sex-selection abortions. My taxes should not go to parents trying to choose the sex of their babies. I want you to protect girls from this hidden violence by stopping Medicare funding of sex-selective abortions.

I’m writing to ask you to protect Australian girls by stopping Medicare funding of sex-selective abortions. An investigation by SBS using ABS data revealed Australia's overall average sex ratio is within the standard range – with 105.7 boys born for every 100 girls. However, in some ethnic communities, an average of 108.2 and 109.5 boys were born for every 100 girls. According to Macquarie University Demographer Dr Nick Parr: "There has to be some form of pre-natal sex selection taking place. In my opinion the most plausible explanation is that there is sex-selective abortion occurring.” All abortion is harmful to women and children but aborting an Australian child on the basis of their sex should be something we can all agree is wrong. I want you to protect girls from this hidden violence and stop Medicare funding of sex-selective abortions.

I’m writing to ask you to stop Medicare funding of sex-selective abortions to protect all Australian girls. The practice of sex-selective abortion is all too common in cultures around the world where males are prized over females, meaning the practice of abortion disproportionately impacts little girls. While some states in Australia have passed laws that prohibit and condemn this practice, we know that in some ethnic communities in Australia the number of boys born is clearly higher than what should be the case under normal biological circumstances. In Australia, La Trobe University’s research into ‘missing girls’ said their findings indicate that “systematic discrimination against females starts in the womb”, with mothers in some ethnic communities recording the birth of sons at rates of 122 and 125 for every 100 daughters in later pregnancies. The practice of sex-selective abortion fuels the stigmatisation of girls. The practice of sex-selective abortion disproportionately impacts little girls. I’m asking for you to take a stand for the thousands of Australian girls who will go missing as a result of this abhorrent practice. Health Minister Greg Hunt, please protect girls by supporting a ban on Medicare funding for “wrong-sex” abortions.

Until there is sex-selective abortion legislation in every state of Australia to ban “wrong sex” abortions, cutting Medicare funding is a good start. So, I’m writing to ask you to do your duty of protecting all Australian girls by passing federal legislation to stop the Medicare funding of sex-selective abortions. Choosing to abort an unborn baby because of the child’s sex is something we can all agree is wrong. Australia is better than this – babies shouldn’t be aborted just because they’re the “wrong sex”. Our little girls should not be discriminated against. I’m asking for you to stand up and protect Australian girls from this hidden violence. Health Minister Greg Hunt, please protect girls by supporting a ban on Medicare funding for “wrong-sex” abortions.

I’m writing to you to ask that Australian girls be protected by banning the Medicare funding of sex-selective abortions. Babies shouldn’t be aborted just because they are the “wrong sex”. There is currently a ban in Australia on social sex-selection in IVF but some fertility service providers are calling for sex-selection to be allowed for the purposes of “family balancing”. I’m asking you to say no to this push because we shouldn’t be custom-making babies through IVF. I’m also asking you to say no to sex-selective abortion. All abortions are harmful to women and children, but aborting a child on the basis of their sex should be something we can all agree is wrong. Minister Greg Hunt, I’m asking you to stop tax dollars meant for healthcare from being spent on “wrong sex” abortions.

I’m writing to ask you to protect all Australian girls by stopping the Medicare funding for sex-selective abortions. The practice of sex-selective abortion is all too common in cultures where males are prized over females, meaning the practice of abortion disproportionately impacts little girls. Mothers within some key migrant communities in Australia are recording sons at rates of 122 and 125 for every 100 daughters in later pregnancies. Women in such cultures may also face forced abortions or other violence and discrimination if they refuse to abort their daughters. I am asking you to help close loopholes that let cultural practices like “wrong sex” abortions happen in Australia. Under Australian law, Medicare rebates subsidise the costs of abortions. However, there are no restrictions preventing Medicare paying for abortions because of the baby’s sex. I’m asking you to stop this secret gendercide – because the reality is that thousands of Australian girls are being subject to violence and discrimination before they are even born. Health Minister Greg Hunt, please protect girls by supporting a ban on Medicare funding for “wrong-sex” abortions.