In response to the news that President Donald Trump has once again reinstated and expanded the so-called “global gag rule,” Tarah Demant, Senior Director of Programs at Amnesty International USA made the following statement:
“In reinstating and expanding the global gag rule, President Trump has purposely put the lives of millions of women, girls and others who can get pregnant at risk and has thrown global reproductive healthcare into complete chaos. The consequences of President Trump’s global gag rule are not theoretical. As we’ve seen before, from blocking access to needed contraception to forcing more unsafe abortions and increasing maternal death rates, this attack on human rights will cause devastating harms for people worldwide in need of reproductive healthcare. Access to healthcare is a human right, and this decision by the Trump administration undermines that right.
“This latest executive order joins a week full of attacks on the health and lives of millions, attacking immigrants, transgender and nonbinary people, global health, and abortion healthcare. President Trump is playing a dangerous game of politics that will harm the health and lives of so many around the world.
“Now more than ever, together with a strong global movement of organizations, communities, and individuals, we continue to fight for human rights, including access to reproductive healthcare, and hold accountable those who violate those human rights.”
Additional Information:
The global gag rule blocks U.S. federal international aid for non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling or referrals, advocate to decriminalize abortion or ensure access to abortion services. It is also known as the Mexico City Policy and was first instated by Ronald Reagan in 1984.
This rule forces health care providers to choose between U.S. global health assistance and the ability to counsel and provide clients with an accurate and full range of safe and legal reproductive health options. As a result, the global gag rule blocks access to health care, stifles local advocacy efforts, and undermines reproductive rights worldwide.
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