Reproductive Rights Advocates Call for Biden to Curb Foreign Abortion Restrictions

5/5/2021
by MICHELLE ONELLO, Ms. Magazine

A coalition of over 140 reproductive rights and health care advocates is calling on President Biden to mitigate the harm caused by the over-implementation of U.S. foreign aid restrictions, especially the 50-year-old Helms Amendment, which has limited access to and information about abortion overseas.

In the April 29 letter, advocates highlighted
the direct harm these restrictions cause women, especially victims of
conflict-related sexual violence, and their violation of the U.S.’s human
rights obligations to ensure gender equality and non-discriminatory,
comprehensive health care. While these restrictions were enacted by Congress,
the coalition is advocating for the Biden administration to curb their impact
and support efforts currently underway to repeal them—both to fulfill his
stated policy of support for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
and to provide the same bold leadership on abortion that he has shown in other
areas such as climate change, jobs and infrastructure.

Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2021/05/05/reproductive-rights-biden-foreign-abortion-restrictions-helms-hyde/

Mike Pompeo taps staunch abortion foe for fresh look at U.S. stance on human rights

Mike Pompeo taps staunch abortion foe for fresh look at U.S. stance on human rights

AFP-JIJI
Jul 9, 2019

WASHINGTON - Charging that human rights advocates have deviated from their core principles, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday named a staunch abortion opponent to lead a new panel to set the future direction for the United States.

Pompeo, an evangelical Christian who often speaks of his faith, announced the creation of a State Department commission on “unalienable rights” that has already drawn suspicions among gay and women’s activists.

Continued: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/07/09/world/social-issues-world/mike-pompeo-taps-staunch-abortion-foe-fresh-look-u-s-stance-human-rights/#.XSTOaI97lPY

Trump’s State Department Erases Reproductive Rights From Human Rights Report

Apr 23, 2018
Ally Boguhn

The U.S. State Department’s annual human rights report this year omitted reproductive rights, sparking outcry from advocates.

The report, titled “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017,” is meant to “document the status of human rights and worker rights in nearly 200 countries and territories” and is “used by a variety of actors, including the U.S. Congress, the executive branch, and the judicial branch as a factual resource for decision making in matters ranging from assistance to asylum.”

Continued: https://rewire.news/article/2018/04/23/trumps-state-department-erases-reproductive-rights-human-rights-report/

USA – State Department strikes reproductive rights, ‘Occupied Territories’ from human rights report

State Department strikes reproductive rights, ‘Occupied Territories’ from human rights report

by Carol Morello
April 20, 2018

The State Department’s annual human rights report released Friday drops references to reproductive rights for women and stops using the phrase “Occupied Territories” to describe Israel’s presence in Gaza and the West Bank.

The report, which covers 2017, focuses less on societal attitudes and discrimination than in previous years and more on governmental actions that encourage or reward violence and bigotry. It is the first human rights report to reflect the Trump administration’s views and priorities.

Continued: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/state-department-strikes-reproductive-rights-occupied-territories-from-annual-report/2018/04/20/46ef0874-44a6-11e8-ad8f-27a8c409298b_story.html

20.04.2018

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USA – Rights Advocates Decry ‘Unconscionable’ State Dept Decision to Cut Women’s Rights From Annual Report

Rights Advocates Decry 'Unconscionable' State Dept Decision to Cut Women's Rights From Annual Report
"This development is a transparent attempt by the Trump administration to not only de-prioritize reproductive rights, but effectively erase them from the broader conversation on human rights."

by Julia Conley, staff writer
Published on Thursday, February 22, 2018
by Common Dreams

Human rights groups on Thursday denounced the State Department's plans to re-frame its upcoming global human rights report, paring down its focus on women's reproductive rights and discrimination—saying the decision is clear evidence that the rights of marginalized groups are insignificant to the Trump administration.

“Reproductive rights are human rights," said Tarah Demant, Amnesty International USA's director of gender, sexuality, and identity, in a statement. "This development is a transparent attempt by the Trump administration to not only de-prioritize reproductive rights, but effectively erase them from the broader conversation on human rights. We must not let this attack on basic rights go unchallenged."

Continued: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/02/22/rights-advocates-decry-unconscionable-state-dept-decision-cut-womens-rights-annual-0#

The global gag rule does nothing to protect life

The global gag rule does nothing to protect life
By Margaret Huang and Serra Sippel, opinion contributors
01/23/18

Nine years ago, the U.S. rescinded a cruel policy that denied life-saving health-care to thousands of people around the world. By repealing the Mexico City Policy (also known as the “global gag rule”), we paved the way for reproductive healthcare providers to access funds that had been withheld from them for years. With those dollars, providers gave their clients desperately needed care for themselves and their families — services that included contraceptives, maternal care, and HIV/AIDS prevention.

There was one thing that providers still could not do. By law since 1973, no organization or health care provider is allowed to use U.S. federal funds to pay for abortions as a method of family planning overseas. That’s not ideal, but with the gag rule rescinded, organizations that did provide abortions could still seek alternate funding for those services while using U.S. aid to provide other care to clients.

Continued: http://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/370345-the-global-gag-rule-does-nothing-to-protect-life