As reported by the Global Fund for Women, “The Trump administration is exporting these anti-choice measures with the global gag rule. The global gag rule prohibits organizations from receiving funding from the U.S. government if they provide services, referrals, and advocacy related to abortion internationally – even with non-U.S. government financing. The policy covers all $8.8 billion in US global health aid, nearly 15 times the reach of previous iterations. As a result, millions of women and LGBTQI people worldwide are being shut off from comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services.
Global Fund for Women’s Leila Hessini explained: “The United States is the world’s largest donor to global health, and abortion-related services are often integrated into general health care involving HIV, contraceptives, and families.” The policy then affects the whole of women’s health care in many areas.” “The global gag rule is an attack on women’s abilities to make fundamental decisions related to their reproductive and sexual lives,” Hessini said. Half of the 1.65 billion women age 15-44 worldwide live in countries where the global gag rule would impede otherwise legal abortion services.
