Family-planning NGOs could see loss of USAID funding as Trump inks ‘Gag Rule’

[geovalin]

Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon and Leonie Kijewski

 

Organizations working in Cambodia that provide or promote abortion as a form of family planning are bracing for a cut-off in US government funding thanks to an executive order signed by new US President Donald Trump on Monday.

 

On his fourth day in office, Trump issued the memorandum reinstituting the so-called “Mexico City Policy”, first enacted under Republican president Ronald Reagan in 1984. Also known as “the Global Gag Rule”, the policy requires NGOs to certify that they will not “perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning” if they wish to qualify for US government assistance, such as through USAID.

 

Since it was first enacted, successive Democratic and Republican administrations have revoked and reinstated the policy, respectively.

 

read more http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/family-planning-ngos-could-see-loss-usaid-funding-trump-inks-gag-rule

 

 

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[Sheryl]

No organization, anywhere,  "promotes abortion as a form of family planning".

 

Some organizations provide abortions to women with unwanted pregnancies who request them,  which is altogether different than "promoting" abortion.

 

As I understand it, this "gag order" goes a great deal further than just forbidding US funding for organizations that provide abortions (with their own or other non-USG resources). It also precludes organizations from referring clients elsewhere or even telling them where they can safely get an abortion.

 

 

[sanukjim]

A little known story relating to this happened in India many years ago.When a foreign government (maybe USAID) was funding a plan for Indian men to undergo  a vasectomy,the men were offered a portable transistor radio (a product that was very new and expensive in India at that tome ) to undergo the procedure. When they ran short of the radios they gave continued by giving away movie tickets to the local theaters and still had many takers.