Tear Down Walls to Better Women's Health, World Leaders Urged on International Women's Day

Washington, D.C. - March 6, 2003

Population Action International (PAI) is urging President Bush, and other world leaders, to mark International Women’s Day (March 8) by tearing down walls that block women from getting access to a full range of reproductive health services.

"More than half a million women die every year from pregnancy-related causes; more than double this number die of AIDS. These tragedies are preventable with access to quality reproductive health care. Yet, at every turn, the current U.S. Administration appears to want to block access, apparently to appease a handful of anti-contraceptive and anti-condom extremists," says PAI President Amy Coen.

Under the Bush Administration, the United States has reneged on its $34 million pledge to the United Nations Population Fund; reinstated the Global Gag Rule and, most recently, announced its intention to expand the reach of the Global Gag Rule to include organizations receiving portions of President Bush’s $15 billion HIV/AIDS proposals — even refugee programs.

Key to improved reproductive health is access to voluntary family planning services. Family planning helps women in the world's poorest countries plan and space the number of children they wish to have. It helps ensure that women deliver healthy babies in safe environments. It saves thousands of women and children's lives every year. It helps prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. And access to family planning helps reduce abortion.

"Half the world’s population is under the age of 25. Half of all new HIV infections occur among young people. Now is the time for Bush Administration to support more access to more family planning, not less," adds Coen.

International Women’s Day falls a week after the release of the United Nations Population Division "2002 Revision" of its World Population Prospects. The new report illustrates the positive impact of international family planning programs in developing countries and the need for sustained investment in these vital services. The report also indicates that much more has to be done to prevent the spread of HIV.

"Every effort by every government, especially the one in Washington, is needed to make family planning and HIV/AIDS-related services readily available to every woman and every person who wants them," says Coen.

Population Action International (PAI) works to improve individual well-being and preserve global resources by mobilizing political and financial support for population, family planning and reproductive health policies and programs.