Legislation would block new Global Gag Rule

Ipas welcomed the announcement today that U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey has introduced the Global Democracy Protection Act. This act is intended to permanently block the Global Gag Rule, a policy that denies U.S. international family planning assistance to foreign non-governmental organizations that provide any abortion services to women in developing countries.

“The Global Gag Rule is obtrusive and unwarranted,” said Elizabeth Maguire, president and CEO of Ipas. “We are thankful that there are still leaders in Congress like Rep. Lowey who will stand up for women’s rights to comprehensive reproductive health care.”

If enacted, the Global Democracy Promotion Act would ensure that the United States cannot impose standards on foreign organizations that would be unconstitutional if applied to U.S. organizations. It would ensure that organizations that provide comprehensive reproductive health care, including safe abortion care, counseling and referrals, and abortion would still qualify for U.S. assistance.

With no other option, more than 20 million women every year have an unsafe abortion. Approximately five million are hospitalized as a result. Despite these harrowing figures, the United States maintains the Helms Amendment to the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act, enacted in 1973, which restricts the use of U.S. funds for the provision or promotion of abortion as a method of family planning. Under this policy, health-care providers receiving U.S. family planning assistance must go to great lengths to ensure that no U.S. funds are used to support safe abortion care – even at the expense of the women they serve.

The Global Gag Rule goes beyond the Helms amendment to dictate what organizations can do with their private funds.

“The Gag Rule does not prevent but rather increases the number of abortions,” Maguire said. “By denying funding to select health-care providers, this policy prevents women from getting the family planning information and services they need to avoid unwanted pregnancy.”

Source: http://www.ipas.org