In one of his first acts in office, President Obama rescinded the Bush administration's longstanding Mexico City Policy, also known as the Global Gag Rule, which restricted federal funding to international groups that promoted or performed abortions. Obama said that overturning the policy would "restore critical efforts to protect and empower women and promote global economic development." Was Obama right to reverse U.S. abortion policy overseas?
Statement of Vicki Saporta
President and CEO of the National Abortion Federation (NAF)
Today, President Barack Obama rescinded the Global Gag Rule. We commend President Obama for swiftly taking this important step toward expanding access to reproductive health care for millions of women around the world.
Originally authored during the Reagan Administration, the Global Gag Rule prohibits international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that receive U.S. government funds from using their own private funds to provide abortions. The policy also prevents NGOs from lobbying their own government for a change in abortion laws, conducting public education campaigns about abortion, referring women to safe abortion providers, or even providing medically accurate counseling about abortion to their clients.
The Global Gag Rule was rescinded by President Clinton in 1993, and then re-implemented by President G.W. Bush on his first day in office in 2001.
This draconian policy has been devastating for the millions of women in developing nations who rely upon NGOs for essential health care services. As a result of President Obama's Executive Order, women and families around the world will once again be able to access the comprehensive health care they need.
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