Global Gag Rule Threatens Health and Well-Being of Women in the Developing World

Our nation’s ambivalence about abortion continues to threaten the health and well-being of women in developing nations. When President Bush re-introduced the Global Gag Rule five years ago, he implied that a goal was to decrease the number of abortions. No such effect has been reported. In fact, the gag rule has adversely affected the health of women and families in many countries. At one of the Family Guidance Association’s regional health clinics in Ethiopia, plans to hire more medical staff and improve other health care were halted because they lost U.S. funding.

With Mrs. Bush in Liberia to support the election of the first woman president in Africa, now is the time for the Bush administration to support policies that make it possible for women to succeed and thrive. The Global Gag Rule must be overturned so that condoms and other contraceptive supplies can be made available to all women who want them in the developing world.

Learn more about the impact of the Global Gag Rule on www.globalgagrule.org or www.populationaction.org.

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.