Abortion is not only wrong because it takes the life of an innocent human being, but also because of the way it fosters a culture of discrimination and intolerance.

The law allows children with disabilities to be aborted all the way up to birth - babies with down syndrome, cleft palate, club foot or similar conditions are being legally killed at an age where able-bodied children have the protection of the law. 90% of children diagnosed with Down Syndrome are aborted.

If equality and equal rights mean anything, they must apply across all stages of our lives. How can it be right that it is legal to kill children in the womb specifically for the 'crime' of having a disability?

Our No Less Human division campaigns to raise awareness of deadly discrimination like this and to build a culture that values and respects every human being, disabled and able-bodied.

Sex-selective abortion

Abortion also discriminates against women - not just because of the trauma that many women undergo as a result of abortion, but also in sex-selective abortions. The fact that it is legal in many countries to abort a baby girl just for being a girl reinforces negative cultural stereotypes and is a lethal form of gender discrimination and sexism. But sex-selective abortion also takes place in the UK. This gendercide should concern us all deeply, especially those of us fighting for women's rights.

The fact that abortion discriminates against disabled and female human beings also raises other concerns. What if advances in science enable us to detect other genetic characteristics before birth? What other 'defects' would abortion be used to eradicate? Aren't we in danger of creating a eugenic society?