The “Global Gag Rule”, that prohibits US foreign assistance to non-governmental organisations that promote, support or advocate for abortions has been reinstated without any time wasted with Trump’s resumption of office. The consequences of what will unfold are dire, filled with fear, uncertainty, and distress for the most marginalised of women, girls, and persons who can get pregnant. These include those who are facing sexual violence in conflict situations; those carrying a wanted but unviable pregnancy; persons experiencing an unintended pregnancy; and those who are survivors of rape and incest. For all of them, reimposition of the “Global Gag Rule” means forsaking their basic right to health, and reproductive autonomy, or risking their lives and facing violence by seeking an unsafe abortion. The brunt will be borne most acutely by the poor, vulnerable, and already marginalised communities who have no economic means of accessing quality abortion services other than state-funded services.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) clearly states that the role of women in procreation should not be the basis for discrimination. The denial of essential sexual and reproductive health services including abortion services constitutes discrimination against women. Therefore, the “Global Gag Rule” should never be regarded as a humane policy, but an onslaught on justice–especially for the most disenfranchised and vulnerable in the world, who are likely to suffer the most.
Many countries across the Global South, despite higher levels of poverty and lower rates of development, have made significant progress within their legal and policy frameworks, and programme implementation to ensure reduction in maternal mortality. This is because we value the lives of women, girls, and other persons who can get pregnant, and our policy choices are based on scientific evidence that show a direct correlation between prohibition of abortion and increase in unsafe abortions. Why hold these nations hostage to rolling back abortion access and replace them with unscientific, anti-abortion propaganda? How fair is it that the US foreign policy commands sacrifice of women’s rights and women’s lives as a condition for the inflow of foreign aid?
The policy and its chilling effect will directly impact SRHR access and service delivery in the national and local settings of the Global South. At the very least, we must expect an unprecedented dent in funding for reproductive health services and gender equality which will result in reduced comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights delivery including abortion services which will be hugely detrimental to women, girls, persons who can get pregnant, their families and communities. Whilst targeting the issue of abortion access, the “Global Gag Rule” also attacks access to modern methods of contraception, comprehensive sexuality education, reproductive technologies and screening, and treatment of reproductive cancers. Aid which is often-times termed ‘assistance’ for development, needs to assist development, especially to fulfill the health and rights of those most marginalised and facing oppressions. Policies such as these are archaic, destructive, and hinder progress and development for all.
What is our call?
- Donors including bilaterals and multilaterals, donor governments and private philanthropies must step up and recognise this as an attack on the most marginalised and vulnerable of women, girls, and those who can get pregnant, and fund organisations to protect, promote and fulfill sexual and reproductive health and rights.
- Governments need to step up and protect the reproductive health and rights of women, girls, and those who can get pregnant in accordance with international human rights standards and commitments that they have acceded to as sovereign nations.
- Governments need to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services including information and education, especially for the most marginalised as a measure of social justice in keeping with commitments made towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the Programme of Action of the ICPD, the Beijing Platform for Action, CEDAW and Pact for the Future.
- UN agencies must continue to defend abortion rights and ensure that the highest standards for health and rights are being upheld by member States in keeping with commitments made towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the Programme of Action of the ICPD, the Beijing Platform for Action, CEDAW and Pact for the Future.
- Human rights advocates have to stand behind the issue of access to safe abortion and we must not lose focus of the activism, advocacy, and systemic changes happening on the ground in the Global South as we speak.
- Human rights and SRHR advocates must mobilise and galvanise grassroots movements to uphold health and rights
- Call on all State and non-State actors to resist the politicisation of foreign aid and neo-colonisation of the Global South that jeopardise the rights of women and the most vulnerable.
Endorsements
Organisations
- Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW)
- The Safe Abortion Advocacy Initiative – A Global South Engagement (SAIGE)
- CommonHealth, India
- Naripokkho
- Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC)
- Association for Prevention of Septic Abortion, Bangladesh (BAPSA)
- Visible Impact (VISIM)
- All in Foundation
- ADEM Asociación por los Derechos de las Mujeres Co fundadoras de la Campaña Nacional por el Derecho al Aborto Legal Seguro y Gratuito Argentina.
- Baithak – Challenging Taboos
- Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population
- Youth Led Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Advocacy Nepal (YoSHAN)
- The Young Activist Network for Abortion Advocacy (YANAA)
- MSI Reproductive Choices
- Barokupot Ganochetona Foundation-BGF
- MONFEMNET National Network NGO
- Affasa: Empowering Indigenous Gender-Diverse Communities
- Women with Disabilities Development Foundation (WDDF)
- Community of Organized and Empowered Lesbian and Bisexual women, Queer, Transgender men, and Intersex individuals in the Philippines (CONEQT PH)
- Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM)
- Feminism in India
- Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (APA)
- Everystory Sri Lanka
- Safe Abortion Coalition Sri Lanka
- Research and Community Development Center, Nepal
- Centre for Social Policy Development – Pakistan
- Plan International Nepal
- Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Advocacy (YSEHRA)
- Youth LEAD Mongolia
- Youth for Reproductive Health Awareness, Philippines
- National Center against Violence (NCAV) Mongolia
- Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM)
- Youth Advocacy Network Sri Lanka (YANSL)
- Women’s Action Network Sri Lanka And Mannar Women’s Development Federation
- Le Centre ODAS
- ASTRA Network
- Africa Queer Network
- YUWA
- Trust And Support Foundation
- Sismijo Women and Youth Foundation
- Foundation for Women and Family Planning FEDERA – Poland
- Amplifying Rights Network, Liberia
- Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF)
- Inroads: International Network for the Reduction of Abortion Discrimination and Stigma
- Yayasan Kesehatan Perempuan-Indonesia (YKP)
- Alliance For Choice Belfast N. Ireland
- Steps Without Borders NGO
- CDS Park
- FONDATION ISHIABWE KITHOKO ANDRE FONDIKA RDC
- Samsara
- Abortion Support Network
- Post Abortion Therapy
- AMPF
- Federation of Reproductive Health Associations, Malaysia (FRHAM)
- Yayasan IPAS Indonesia
- Oyu Tolgoi Watch Mongolia
- MARA-MED
- Rutgers
- Sisters in Islam (SIS)
- Beautiful Hearts Against Sexual Violence Mongolia
- The PRINCESS center for the protection of girls and young women’s rights, Mongolia
- Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH)
- Women on Web
- Centre for Human Rights and Development, Mongolia
- Women’s Solidarity Network Sri Lanka
- Family Planning Association, Sri Lanka
- Malaysian Doctors for Women and Children
- Save All Women and Girls (SAWG-Indonesia)
- Koalisi Masyarakat Peduli Aborsi Aman (KOMALA-Indonesia)
- Op. Milhas pela vida das mulheres (Brasil)
- Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Network (GBVNet)
- Association of Youth Organizations Nepal (AYON)
- Tamtang Group
- The Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU)
- International Planned Parenthood Federation, South Asian Region (IPPF-SAR)
Individuals
- Anjali Shenoi
- Hasini Rupasinghe
- Kusum KC
- Nazeefa Fatima
- Majo Corvalán
- Bienfait SUNGURA Blaise
- Shamima Akther Chowdhury
- Sila Nighat Shahid
- Hafsah Muheed
- TK Sundari Ravindran
- Pushpa Joshi
- Shruti Arora
- Sonali Silva – Co Chair, SheDecides
- Tehani Ariyaratne
- Sashwati Banerjee
- Ranjeeta Silwal
- Dominique Ogreanu
- Roxana Vivas
- Souvik Pyne
- Debanjana Choudhuri, Gender Rights Activist, Asia
- Putri Widi Saraswati, MD, MSc
- Sarah Ngela Ngasi
- Jyotsana Rani Roy
- Shamala Chandrasekaran
- Sai Jyothirmai Racherla
- Renu Khanna
- Nurjan Khavdsyelyem
- Jojana Christine General
- Uda Deshapriya
- mong owa ching Marma
- Misha’ari Weerabangsa
- Nalini Singh
- Nenan Angenani Titis
- Laxmi Tamang
- Sarah Zaman
- Dr. Ghulam Shabbir Awan
- Dr. Yasmeen Sabeeh Qazi
- Japleen Pasric
- Menka Goundan
- Saritha Irugalbandara
- Widya Kumarasinghe
- Pabitra Neupane
- Tseveenravdan Tsogbat
- Siilen Sukh-Ochir
- Shreejana Bajracharya
- K.M. Tha-Ha Owasif Aurnob
- Barnabas Nabulizi
- Sushma Shrestha
- Sunil Kaul
- Swati Shinde
- Shelani Palihawadana
- Shreen Abdul Saroor
- Mahaluxmy Kurushanthan
- Vanie Simon
- Sanskriti Pandey
- Krishna Kumari Waiba
- Erinle Sunday
- Victoria Mbah
- Sumesh Khadgi
- Sunayana Walia – Independent Consultant
- Nirajan Khadka
- Swetha Sridhar
- Dr Rebecca Smyth, Lecturer in Law
- Susheela Singh
- Priskila Arulpragasam
- Ika Ayu
- Ruth Fletcher
- Alexandra Latter, Founder, Post Abortion Therapy
- Oyundari Bayanbaatar
- Ochgerel Tsedenbal
- Erdenetsetseg Erdenedondog
- Undrakh Chinchuluun
- Mihitha Basnayake
- Pat Tawake
- Hastin Atas Asih
- Shubhangani Jain
- Shanta Laxmi Shrestha
- Nanda Dwinta
- Tham Hui Ying
- Suriani Kempe
- Dimithri Wijesinghe
- Sonali Gunasekera
- Huynh Nguyen Anh Mai
- Dr. Hannah Nazri
- Hoang Tu Anh
- Do Van Trai
- Pham Kieu Oanh
- Ho Thai Binh
- Nirupa Sharma
- Sarojini N.