Bush Administration

Implications for Global Reproductive Health & Rights 

(Source: Global Reproductive Health Forum)

What is the Mexico City Policy?
Introduced by President Reagan in 1984 in Mexico City, this policy denied U. S. international family planning funds to any non governmental organization (NGO) (both U.S. and non-U.S.) engaged directly or indirectly in abortion related activities (ARA), even if they were using non-US Federal funding for these activities.

Has the Mexico City Policy been in place since 1984?
No. President Clinton withdrew this policy as soon as he came to power in 1993.

Why has the Mexico City Policy been in the news recently?
President Bush, on his first day in office, 22 January 2001, re-instated the Mexico City Policy.

What are abortion related activities (ARA)?
Abortion related activities include information provision, counseling, advocacy and lobbying, as well as clinical services.

What are USAID's restrictions on ARA?
Organizations may not carry out advocacy and lobbying work with the intention of changing present policy and laws or provide information and counseling, as well as clinical services. This suppression of communication within the Mexico City Policy is sometimes known as the Global Gag Rule. (A gag is "a thing or circumstance restricting free speech"). The only exception to this rule is that a family planning counselor must respond on where a termination may be safely obtained if a woman states that she has already decided to have a legal abortion.

Does the Mexico City Policy promote double standards?
Yes. While American women continue to have access to safe and legal abortion services and information, President Bush would deny this to women in other countries worldwide, even those where abortion is legal. Lobbying and advocacy work is restricted under the Mexico City Policy and yet this would be unconstitutional if imposed on U.S. soil under the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution, which protects the freedom of speech.

What is the impact of the Mexico City Policy?
Organizations that do not sign up to the Mexico City Policy will lose U.S. funding. The majority of this would have been spent on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programs, including family planning, which would have prevented unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion. Unfortunately, the effect now will be to increase, not  decrease, the number of abortions worldwide.

Source of information: International Planned Parenthood Federation

Has Bush officially closed the White House Women’s Outreach Office?
Yes.  The office was established by President Clinton in 1995.  The function of this office was to liaison with women’s organizations to address issues such as abortion and gender-based violence.