Global Gag Rule

On his first day in office, President Bush reinstated the global gag rule (also known as the Mexico City Policy) that was first put into effect under President Reagan. The gag rule denies USAID population assistance to non-governmental organizations that use their own money to provide abortion services, counsel their patients on pregnancy options, refer or advocate for safe abortion.

The documented impact of the global gag rule has been to decrease the availability of contraception, close clinics and eliminate services, decrease HIV/AIDS services, and hamper the ability of family planning providers to coordinate health care delivery.

In just one example, the global gag rule cost the Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia (FGAE) more than half a million dollars—even though abortion is illegal in Ethiopia and FGAE does not provide the service. FGAE was required to give up U.S. funding because the agency seeks to educate local policymakers about the role that unsafe abortion plays in Ethiopia’s staggering maternal mortality rate. As a result, 229,947 men and 301,054 women in urban areas lost sexual and reproductive health services. (Source: PPFA Report: The Bush Administration, The Global Gag Rule and HIV/AIDS Funding.)

Throughout 2003 the Bush administration has sought to extend the global gag rule beyond USAID population funding, attempting first to extend the gag to HIV/AIDS funding and then to reproductive health services for refugee women. The Senate in 2003 voted to overturn the global gag rule; however, they were not backed by the House.

For more information on the Global Gag rule:

• PPFA Report

• Global Gag Rule website

• Center for Reproductive Rights

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NAPPA: Our Partner

Snapshot of Namibia

Sexual Health in Namibia

Letters from Namibia

Namibian Scrap Book

US Policy & Global Health

AIDS in Africa

Global AIDS Fund

Inter. Family Planning

UNFPA

Global Gag Rule