In one of his first acts as president – and two days after millions of people marched for women’s rights – Donald Trump has reinstated the “global gag rule”.
The policy will cut US aid funding to international NGOs which offer family planning programmes associated with abortion. Also known as the Mexico City Policy, it was first introduced by Ronald Reagan in 1984 and has since become a political ping pong – reinstated by Republican presidents and rescinded by Democrats.
Building on the 44-year-old Helms amendment which prohibits the use of US aid money for abortions, the new policy will prevent NGOs from using private funds for abortion services, from referring women to groups that provide abortions, and even from offering information on services.
Some $600m of US foreign aid goes towards family planning assistance, but organisations will now have to choose between no longer offering these services, or losing funding from the US.
Two major beneficiaries of US funding for family planning programmes, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and Marie Stopes International have indicated that they would not comply with the gag rule. Marie Stopes estimates that without alternative funding the loss of its services will cause more than 6 million unintended pregnancies during Trump’s first term. The IPPF could lose up to $100m of funding, which could lead to cuts to sexual health services in at least 30 countries where its partner organisations work.
The policy could put millions of women’s lives at risk: one in 10 maternal deaths in developing countries are caused by unsafe abortions an estimated 20 million take place each year.
“This blocks access to sexual and reproductive health services in the poorest and hardest to reach communities where we are currently changing lives,” Tewodros Melesse, director general of IPPF, told the Guardian. “We can’t support something which tries to restrict people’s choices or take them away.”
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