Expansion of Global Gag Rule Will Have Deadly Consequences for Women and Girls
Statement from Refugees International Senior Advocate for Women and Girls Devon Cone:
“Today marks the official expansion of the Global Gag Rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy. The policy will no doubt have deadly consequences for women and girls around the world.
The Global Gag Rule bars U.S. foreign assistance to any non-U.S. organization that provides, refers for, or even discusses abortion as part of comprehensive reproductive health care, even when those activities are funded with non-U.S. resources and are legal in the country where services are provided. This expansion goes far beyond global health, extending ideological restrictions across nearly all forms of non-military U.S. foreign assistance.
On the heels of unprecedented U.S. aid cuts over the last year, the policy politicizes humanitarian assistance on ideological grounds and will inflict further damage on vulnerable communities already reeling from aid cuts, especially women and girls in humanitarian settings. The Global Gag Rule has a well-documented record of harm that Refugees International has seen play out first-hand. When implemented, it leads to clinic closures, service disruptions, and the loss of trusted health providers, particularly in humanitarian and conflict-affected settings. Women and girls face reduced access to contraception, maternal health care, post-rape care, HIV services, and accurate health information. These disruptions increase unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal mortality, while weakening already fragile health systems that communities rely on in crises. The policy makes it significantly more difficult for survivors of gender-based violence to access timely, survivor-centered care, including emergency contraception, counseling, and referrals.
Congress must act now to push back against this move by exercising its oversight authority, protecting funding for comprehensive reproductive health care, and advancing legislative measures to permanently repeal the Global Gag Rule. Congress has both the authority and the responsibility to intervene.”
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org.