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IPPF staff

News item

IPPF speaks out against the Global Gag Rule

IPPF stands to lose $100 million USD received from the US, even though none of that money is used for abortion services. IPPF spoke out against Trump's reinstatement of the harmful Global Gag Rul...

IPPF stands to lose $100 million USD received from the US, even though none of that money is used for abortion services.

IPPF spoke out against Trump's reinstatement of the harmful Global Gag Rule (aka Mexico City Policy) to both BBC's Woman's Hour radio show and Australia's ABC 24 News.

Our Member Associations have also spoken out against this violation of rights that service restrictions will lead to:

"Funding cuts would mean we can't support 37 districts including supporting Government of Nepal effort on sexual and reproductive Health and rights. Additionally we would not be able to run community clinics or mobile health days or train health care workers. The impact also means we would lose essential medical staff like nurses, doctors and health experts. It would be devastating. " - Ms. Amu Singh Sijapati, President of Family Planning Association of Nepal

As one of the biggest family planning organizations in the world, we work in over 170 countries to deliver integrated sexual and reproductive health services to the most marginalized women and communities around the globe. Funding cuts will limit the range of services and restricts how well they can be accessed in remote and rural areas by those who can’t afford transport, food or housing, and will now have to pay for services from other providers who charge more for treatment.

"Our projects make a real difference. Young people living with HIV face stigma and violence which is a big problem for girls here in Kenya. These issues create barriers for getting care which means higher risks of ill health and harm. It’s vital that we work within local communities and offer services that recognise these specific needs. Without further funding FHOK may be unable to continue this support, scale up or replicate in other parts of Kenya. It would mean denying services to those who need them the most." - Edward Marienga, Executive Director -Family Health Options of Kenya

Putting a ‘gag order’ on local providers who know the specific laws and needs of their communities flies in the face of common sense and reason,” said Marta Royo, Executive Director of Profamilia Colombia, an IPPF Member Association. "The impact of the rule under other U.S. Administrations has been dramatic—many organizations were forced to slash services or even shut their doors because they lost US funding for even mentioning abortion. As a result, women lost access to maternal health care, treatment for HIV and contraception that would help them prevent unintended pregnancies in the first place. Unsafe abortion is one of the leading causes of maternal death in the world and evidence has shown that denying women’s access to abortion doesn’t reduce the incidence of abortion; it just makes it unsafe.”


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Subject

Contraception, HIV and STIs, Comprehensive Sex Education, Gender equality, Abortion Care, Maternal Healthcare