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Rights. Respect. Responsibility.® International Family Planning Campaign—Encourage the U.S. to Honor Its Funding Commitments
The
Mexico City Policy (Global Gag Rule)
In 1984, President
Reagan issued an executive order imposing restrictions
on U. S. funding for international family planning
and prohibiting nongovernmental organizations outside the United States from
receiving funding if, with their own funds and in accordance with the laws
of their countries, they "performed" or "actively promote[d]
abortion as a method of family planning." The policy, known as the Mexico
City Policy because President Reagan was in Mexico City when he issued the
executive order, was quickly renamed the "global gag rule," because
it prohibited health care providers in from providing full reproductive health
care services to their patients. The rule interpreted the phrase "abortion
as a method of family planning" to mean all abortions, except when performed
in cases of rape, incest, or when the life (but not the health) of the woman
was endangered. In 1993, President Clinton issued an executive order ending
the 'global gag rule.'
However, on January 22, 2001, on his first business day in office, President
Bush reinstated the ban for all USAID population programs. Accordingly, foreign
organizations, often the only health care providers in remote, rural areas,
are not only prohibited from using their own funds to provide abortion, but
are also prohibited from providing advice and information regarding abortion,
referral to other health care facilities, or from lobbying their own government
regarding its abortion laws.
Undermines
Free Speech
Although the United States government can restrict
how a U.S. based organization spends federal dollars,
the Constitution forbids the legislature
from impinging upon the organization's right of free speech. Thus, the "global
gag rule" would be unconstitutional, if proponents attempted to implement
it in the United States. By attempting to stifle public debate in foreign
countries, the "global gag rule" creates a double standard that
clearly violates the human rights and democratic principles of the United
States.
In 18 of the 56 countries that receive funding from the United States for
international family planning, abortion is legal on grounds broader than
saving the pregnant
woman's life. Under the "global gag rule," nongovernmental organizations
in these countries that provide either abortion or referral for abortion cannot
provide this legal service to their patients without losing funding. Countries
in which legal reproductive health care services may be restricted because
of the "global gag rule" include Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Bulgaria, Cambodia, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Nepal,
Romania, Russia,
Serbia, South Africa, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
In 17 countries receiving U.S. family planning assistance, abortion is
legal under limited circumstances, including protecting the woman's life
and physical
health and, in some instances, protecting her mental health or for socioeconomic
reasons, but is generally not available. Under the "global gag rule," many
nongovernmental organizations that might offer safe abortion under the
permitted circumstances will not do so because of their desperate need
for family planning
funding from the United States. Those countries include Benin,
Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Jamaica, Liberia,
Mali, Mozambique, Pakistan, Peru, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In 21 other countries, abortion is generally prohibited, except,
in some cases, to protect the life of the woman. The "global gag rule" means
that nongovernmental organizations that receive U.S. funding may not lobby
their own government to change these laws. Even where abortion is allowed
under limited circumstances, health care providers are less likely to provide
the
service, if it means losing vitally needed family planning funds. The countries
thus affected include: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras,
Indonesia,
Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Paraguay, Philippines, Senegal,
Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda.
What
can
I do?
- Learn
more about the "global gag rule" by
visiting:
CLICK HERE
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