Responding to the Global Gag Rule
Take action to support the HER Act.
A headline in Wednesday’s edition of a national newspaper in Kenya read, “Maternal Health Programs Will Suffer Under Trump Presidency.”
That’s because President Trump reinstated on Tuesday the Mexico City Policy, also known as the Global Gag Rule.
The article explains how the Global Gag Rule will have significant, devastating effects on family planning programs in Kenya and around the world.
Providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services has many benefits. It helps prevent unwanted pregnancies, delays pregnancy, avoids miscarriages, and reduces abortion and the spread of HIV. Under the Global Gag Rule, many organizations that provide these critical services would lose funding from the United States altogether.
Services affected by the Global Gag Rule
We know that these types of restrictions end up increasing unplanned pregnancies and lead to a rise in unsafe abortions, not to mention higher rates of maternal and infant mortality. Without comprehensive and integrated community health programs, mothers and babies around the world die.
Members of Congress responded to Trump’s executive order by introducing the Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights (HER) Act. HER Act is a bipartisan effort both to repeal the Global Gag Rule permanently, and to ensure that women in poor communities have access to comprehensive family planning services, HIV treatment, and Zika prevention.
The time is now.
We need you to act. We must protect the gains we’ve made over the last decade. Please call your senator and representative today and urge them to support the HER Act.
The U.S. Capitol switchboard number is 202.224.3121. Just call and an operator will direct you to your members’ offices.
Thank you for taking the time to support women and children around the globe.
