“[This] creates the danger that women will be pressured to abort their babies,” he added.
Nigeria also voiced strong opposition to references to gender identity, arguing that “gender” can only include “male” or “female'' and announced that the country would withdraw from the resolution completely to defend its “values, laws and sovereignty.”
“We should not be creating new rights,” the Nigerian representative said.
In remarks made at the U.N. meeting, Senegal’s representative condemned the inclusion of abortion as a family planning method and argued the word “gender” must only refer to “social relations between males and females.”
Among the 32 nations that joined Nigeria in supporting amendments to strike abortion and gender language from the resolution were Uganda, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Senegal. The Philippines, Nicaragua, Russia, and a handful of Middle Eastern countries also joined the effort.
Austin Ruse, president of the Center for Family & Human Rights, said in an interview with CNA that it is well-known that smaller African countries courageously stand against the West’s pro-abortion and gender policies.
“They have the most to lose,” he emphasized. “They know what the sexual revolution is about because they can see what has happened to our country and don’t want any of it.”
“They want basic medical care, clean water, safe sanitation; not the gender, reproductive health, and comprehensive sexuality education agenda that comes from the big powers,” he added.
Poland and Hungary vote to advance abortion, gender ideology
Missing from the effort to protect life and a traditional view of sexuality were Hungary and Poland, predominantly Catholic nations known as global leaders in opposing abortion and gender ideology.
Poland is one of the few nations that have banned almost all abortions and ranks among the most pro-life governments.
(Story continues below)
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Hungary’s story is a bit more nuanced, as abortion is legal in the country with some restrictions. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, however, the country is introducing pro-life measures and leading the way on pro-family policies.
Both Hungarian and Polish governments have also gone toe-to-toe with progressive European leaders over gender ideology in the recent past.
Imre Téglásy, director of Human Life International Hungary, told CNA in a statement that he believed that Hungary failed to oppose abortion at the U.N. because it faces “heavy attacks of the liberal representatives of the EU.”
Téglásy explained that the EU has punished Hungary by cutting billions in funding to the country when the nation defended its “sovereignty and Christian values.”
Téglásy said the other possible explanation is that Hungary’s ambassador to the U.N., Zsuzsa Horváth, was not “really aware” of her government’s pro-family policies.
“You can evaluate both of these [decisions as] shameful,” he concluded.