On the first working day of Donald Trump’s administration, the new president signed an executive order reinstating the “global gag rule” — an anti-abortion policy that prohibits any nongovernmental organization abroad that receives U.S. government funding from performing abortion services or giving information about abortions as a means of family planning.
The global gag rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy, has been a highly partisan policy that has been nullified by Democrat presidents and reinstated by Republican presidents. This rule was brought in by former President Ronald Reagan, but was struck down when President Bill Clinton took office in 1993. The act was reinstated under President George W. Bush and was quickly repealed by President Barack Obama in 2009.
Population Action International, a global family planning advocacy group, has described the move as part of an “agenda to punish women everywhere.” Other family planning supporters said this policy undermines the work of Family Planning 2020 — a global partnership aimed at enabling 120 million more girls to use contraceptives by 2020 in support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
About the author
Christin Roby@robyreports
Christin Roby worked as the West Africa Correspondent for Devex, covering global development trends, health, technology, and policy. Before relocating to West Africa, Christin spent several years working in local newsrooms and earned her master of science in videography and global affairs reporting from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Her informed insight into the region stems from her diverse coverage of more than a dozen African nations.
