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From: grhf <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2001 6:23 AM
Subject: GRHF News: Week 2 Discussion- The Global Gag Rule


Global Reproductive Health Forum News: Week 2- The Global Gag Rule

As of today, Reproductive Rights, Human Rights has 63 registered members.
Thanks to those who have registered and responded thus far, the discussion
is off to a great start! The forum from last week will remain open, so feel
free to respond to the questions that were brought up last week throughout
the six week period.

To participate in the discussion, please visit
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/grhf/discuss

Week 2: The Mexico City Policy/Global Gag Rule

In a controversial political  move, the "global gag rule" was reinstated in
an executive order signed by President George W. Bush on January 22, 2001 in
his first act as US President. First implemented by Ronald Reagan in 1984,
this act prevents any US funds from being directed to organizations that
"perform or support" abortion services worldwide. When former President
Clinton took office in 1993, his first official act was to repeal the gag
rule. Opponents of the gag rule feel that there are two main effects. The
first is to reduce the funds available to organizations working in
Reproductive Health who are not willing to deny their clients access to
information about legal, safe abortion services. The second is to increase
the number of abortions performed in unsafe conditions, and consequently,
cause an increase maternal mortality rates.

Janet Benshoof, president of the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy,
writes: "Thousands of women will die each year from illegal abortion because
President Bush, who lost the popular vote, needs to curry favor with the
religious right. It is a malicious affront to women to gag advocates for
their health on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade."* Opponents of the global
gag rule emphasizes that the legislation will hurt organizations that
provide a wide variety of reproductive health-related services, such as
contraceptive options and family planning counseling. But others believe
that the reinstatement of the global gag rule will in fact benefit people in
the developing world. Steve Mosher, President of the Population Research
Institute, writes that "the massive promotion of abortion, contraception,
and sterilization by the U.S. and its surrogates has not helped the
developing world rid itself of poverty and disease.  Rather it has offended
traditional values and customs, wasted taxpayer dollars, and undermined
primary health care."**

Discussion Questions:

1) What are the implications of the global gag rule? What kind of an impact
will this legislation have on the developing world? We would particularly
like to hear from participants in the developing world, as they have
first-hand knowledge of the implicationsS

2) If reproductive health is truly a human right, then the denial of
reproductive health services (or the denial of funding for reproductive
health services) is a violation of human rights. Is this policy inconsistent
with both the UN Convention on Human Rights and the US Constitution that
guarantees freedom of speech?

3) President Bush campaigned as a pro-life candidate. As President, he
believes that the enactment of legislation like the global gag rule is the
only way to fulfill his campaign promises, and reduce the incidence of
abortions. Will the enactment of the global gag rule lead to an increase or
decrease in the total number of  abortions and maternal deaths through a
reduction of funds available for family planning and reproductive health
services? Is there any evidence based on the history of the gag rule under
former Presidents Reagan and Bush?


*More information from the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy is
available in the resources section.

** The full text of the statement in support of the Mexico City Policy by
the Population Research Institute can be found in the resources section.


To participate in the discussion, please visit
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/grhf/discuss

The Global Reproductive Health Forum is located at
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/grhf