MEDIA ADVISORY : Damaging Effects of the Global Gag Rule Will Be the Focus of U.S. Congressional Hearing
Contact: Tyler LePard, PAI: tlepard@popact.org; 202.557.3422
Kirsten Sherk, ipas: sherkk@ipas.org; 919.960.5612
Laura Zaks, IPPF: lzaks@ippfwhr.org; 212.214.0287
The U.S. Congress is holding its first hearing dedicated to the Global Gag Rule since non-governmental organizations (NGOs) began systematically documenting its impact on family planning and reproductive health care programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Also known as the Mexico City Policy, the Global Gag Rule mandates that no U.S. family planning assistance can be provided to foreign NGOs that use funding from any other source to: perform abortions in cases other than a threat to the woman’s life, rape or incest; provide counseling and referral for abortion; or lobby to make abortion legal or more available in their country. These restrictions intentionally undermine local sexual and reproductive health services and advocacy, inevitably leading to more unplanned pregnancies and more unsafe abortions. Tom Lantos (D-CA) will chair the full House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing.
WHEN: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building
WITNESSES:
- Duff Gillespie, PhD, former Director of the USAID Office of Population
- Dr. Ejikie Oji, Country Director, Ipas-Nigeria
- Joana Nerquaye-Tetteh, PhD, former Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana
- Dr. Jean Kagia, Kenya’s National Coordinator of Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics.
NOTE: To arrange interviews with the witnesses or for background information on the Global Gag Rule, please contact Kirsten Sherk, Laura Zaks or Tyler LePard.
