On his first Monday in office, President Trump
reinstated the ‘Mexico City policy’ that blocks US federal funds for
non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling or referrals,
advocate to decriminalize abortion or expand abortion services. This policy was implemented in 1984 by
Ronald Reagan at a UN population conference in Mexico City. Hence the name – the Mexico City
policy. It was repealed by Bill
Clinton, reinstated by George W. Bush, and repealed by Obama. (You may remember that Trump was
prochoice until it was politically valuable to be for compulsory
pregnancy. Reagan signed the bill
allowing therapeutic abortion in California.)
Trump did more than just reinstate the policy,
he expanded it to apply to all global health funding, not just to family
planning. Organizations
helping with HIV prevention and treatment, immunization, maternal health care, Zika
virus prevention et al. will also be affected. According to Population Action International, a global
family planning advocacy organization, the gag rule will apply to $9.5 billion
in global health funding, as opposed to $575 million in family planning
funding.
Organizations that provide family planning and
safe abortion care, such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation and
Marie Stopes International, will not sign on to the gag rule’s conditions. They point out that the new rule will
not reduce abortions, but increase the number of illegal ones, as happened in
sub-Saharan Africa during George W. Bush’s time in office.
Holland has come to the rescue. Lilianne Ploumen, Holland’s minister
for foreign trade and development cooperation, has announced that it is putting
10 million euros
($10.7 million) into an international fund it launched to finance access to
birth control, abortion and sex education for women in developing nations after
President Donald Trump cut U.S. funding for such services. Ploumen has launched
a fund "She Decides - Global Fundraising Initiative"
— with a website.
Ploumen
says she has received thousands of reactions — the vast majority of them
positive — after announcing the fund Tuesday. Canada has also pledged to sign on to the funding. In a few days, individuals from all
over the world will be able to pledge support through the website– “She Decides
– Global Fundraising
Initiative. I will keep you posted
on this website. Donations will be
coordinated by The Rutgers Foundation, and international NGO working on sexual
and reproductive rights based in the Netherlands.
Minister
Ploumen said the withdrawal of
U.S. money will create a huge funding gap that can only be filled through a
robust reaction by governments, aid organizations and private donors. The fund
will "prevent women and girls being abandoned," she added.
"Because they, too, must be able to decide for themselves if they want
children, with whom and when."
Ploumen said much more money is needed but "I'm confident we can go
a long way so that essential services, not just for women, but for the whole of
society, can be maintained.” The website, shedecides.eu , is open for
individual donations.
At
the Women’s March in San Francisco, and from reports of similar marches in
Washington and throughout the world, there were many striking and meaningful
posters and signs. I am struck by
the power of the two words Lilianne Ploumen selected for her new website and
the generous action of the Netherlands – ‘She Decides’.
If
you are burning with indignation at Trump’s actions against women’s health or
immigration policy, you can also donate to the International Planned Parenthood
Federation or the ACLU. Any amount
helps. It will be multiplied by
the rest of us.
Sadja Greenwood, MD, MPH back issues on this blog
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