Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was roundly denounced by pro-life advocates after he pledged to donate $650 million to finance projects that will partly fund abortions worldwide.
Speaking at an event in Ottawa on Wednesday to mark International Women's Day, Trudeau said the money—which doubles current funding—will be used to support projects that provide sex education, strengthen reproductive health services, and support family planning, contraceptives, and the right of women to get safe and legal abortions, CBC News reported.
"For far too many women and girls, unsafe abortions and lack of choices in reproductive health mean that they are either at risk, and at risk of death, or simply cannot contribute or achieve their potential through education, through involvement in their community, through a broad range of opportunities," said Trudeau, who describes himself as a Roman Catholic and a feminist.
"It is important that as a world we recognise that empowering women, that respecting their rights, is fundamental to building a world in which everyone has a real and fair chance to succeed," the Canadian leader added.
However, pro-lifers said they were "horrified" by the "sick" decision taken by Trudeau.
"We are horrified by our government's decision to spend more than half a billion dollars on spreading abortion across the world," said Johanne Brownrigg, public affairs director for Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), a Canadian pro-life group, LifeSiteNews reported.
"Our nation, under Trudeau, has now become one of the world's top exporters of abortion and sterilisation," she added.
Matthew Wojciechowski, CLC spokesperson, noted that "sexual and reproductive health and rights" are "umbrella term for abortion on demand, radical sexual education programmes, and mass sterilisation in countries in the developing world."
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin also blasted Trudeau for his "sick" and "disgusting" decision as she linked on her social media page the news article on the pro-lifers' reaction to the Canadian leader's announcement.
Trudeau's move was in sharp contrast to the decision taken by U.S. President Donald Trump to block funding to organisations that support abortion services.
Meanwhile, Canada's interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose also criticised Trudeau's action, saying the government should be supporting aid agencies instead of funding abortion, according to CBC News.
"We think it's important to continue to fund the kinds of aid packages and aid that actually gets to these countries, to help the women, and some of the funding that the Liberals are talking about may never get to these countries because abortion is illegal in these countries," Ambrose said.
