For Immediate Release
August 14, 2014
30 Years is Enough: End the Global Gag Rule
Washington, DC—Today, Population Action International (PAI) launched 30 Years is Enough: End the Global Gag Rule, an online interactive experience to mark the 30th anniversary of the Global Gag Rule, a harmful U.S. foreign policy that increases the risk of unsafe abortion worldwide and violates the trust between a woman and her doctor. PAI has documented the ill-effects of the Global Gag Rule since its inception, and the online experience traces the history of the Global Gag Rule and calls for a permanent legislative repeal of the policy.
The Gag Rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy, was instituted by President Reagan this week in 1984 at the International Conference on Population in Mexico City. The policy prevents overseas reproductive healthcare providers receiving U.S. family planning aid from using their own non-U.S. funds to provide abortion information, referrals, or services, or to advocate for the legalization of abortion in their countries.. The Gag Rule has become a political football, alternately reinstated by Republican presidents and repealed by Democrats. President Obama repealed the Gag Rule in his first week of office but the harmful policy could return again if an anti-choice candidate wins the next presidential election.
Fortunately, there is a solution. The Global Democracy Promotion Act, introduced by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) would impose a permanent legislative end to the Global Gag Rule. The bill currently has 23 sponsors in the Senate and 124 sponsors in the House.
Worldwide, half of all abortions are unsafe—the vast majority in the developing world. The Global Gag Rule increases the risk of unsafe abortion among those who already face serious challenges to accessing reproductive health care. It is time to end this policy once and for all.
Contact
Dilly Severin
[email protected]
Tel: 202-557-2423
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Population Action International advocates for women and families to have access to contraception in order to improve their health, reduce poverty and protect their environment. For almost 50 years, PAI has worked with bipartisan supporters to help the millions of women in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy but do not have access to contraception.