Controlling the Means of Reproduction: An Interview with Michelle Goldberg
On January 20th the first self-identified feminist was named President of the United States of America. Just two days after taking office, Barack Obama performed his first presidential act of solidarity with women around the world by repealing the Global Gag Rule. Established in 1984 by President Reagan, the Global Gag Rule denies aid to international groups "which perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning." The Global Gag Rule has come to be seen as a litmus test of the current US President’s stance on women’s rights, though it is just one aspect of the complicated story of the impact of American reproductive rights policy in countries around the globe.
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http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2009/03/23/controlling-means-reproduction-an-interview-with-michelle-goldberg/
President Obama Reverses Bush-Backed Attack on Family Planning
In repealing the global gag rule, President Obama restores access to primary health services for women and families in developing nations
WASHINGTON - January 23 - Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, hailed President Barack Obama for taking swift and decisive action on behalf of women around the world by repealing the global gag rule.
"President Obama's action today reinforces why elections matter and how new leadership can end divisive policies that harm women," Keenan said. "Reversing this Bush-era policy means that the world's poorest women may now have access to vital health services, from prenatal care to contraception. The president's action today reflects the public's call for a focus on commonsense, common-ground solutions that make a difference in the lives of women and their families."
The global gag rule, which former President George W. Bush imposed on his first day in office, prohibited the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from granting family-planning funds to any overseas health center unless it agreed not to use its own, private, non-U.S. funds for abortion services or counseling. Bush imposed this rule even though federal law already prohibits the use of U.S. tax dollars for abortion services overseas.
The global gag rule has had devastating effects on family-planning services. As a consequence of the policy, overseas groups have closed health centers, cut staff, and raised fees. Thousands of women and families in need of public-health services have been turned away from under funded clinics.
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https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/01/23-12
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