The Fourth Anniversary of the Global Gag Rule

January 22, 2004 marks the fourth anniversary of President George W. Bush's order to reinstate the Global Gag Rule. The "gag rule's" restrictions, which would be unconstitutional if applied in the United States, jeopardize the health of women and their families by prohibiting foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from receiving U.S. family planning funds if they provide information, counseling, or referrals for abortion services—even if they do so with their own funds, even if abortion is legal, and even if a woman's health depends on it. As a result, these NGOs have been forced to choose between desperately needed family planning funds and the ability to provide medically ethical and accurate information to women in some of the poorest countries in the world.
In 2003, the collaborative Global Gag Rule Impact Project, in which EngenderHealth played an important part, released a landmark report—"Access Denied: U.S. Restrictions on International Family Planning." It included four compelling case studies setting out the results of a careful investigation in Ethiopia, Kenya, Romania, and Zambia and documenting the impact of the gag rule on family planning and critical HIV prevention services. Updated information and new case studies for Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe will soon be available online at www.globalgagrule.org.
The Global Gag Rule Impact Project is a coalition of reproductive health care organizations led by Population Action International in partnership with Ipas and Planned Parenthood Federation of America and with assistance in gathering field evidence from EngenderHealth and Pathfinder International. While the missions of these organizations are diverse, the coalition is united in its commitment to advancing reproductive health and rights and in the belief that policies governing U.S. assistance should be based on evidence and should reflect established public health practices.
EngenderHealth provides technical assistance, training, and information to support family planning, maternal health care, and HIV/AIDS in countries where basic health care needs are urgent. As a result of the Global Gag Rule, EngenderHealth has had to end its support for important nongovernmental partners in our family planning programs in Ghana, Kenya, Nepal, and other countries.

© 2004 EngenderHealth
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