Global Gag Rule Expansion Will Endanger the Lives of Women and Girls

Washington, DC — The Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) released the following statement in reaction to the announcement that the State Department will be expanding the Mexico City Policy, also known as the Global Gag rule, to include barring funding from any organization that promotes gender equality, diversity and inclusion, racial justice, and other issues, even if those activities are done with non-US funds.  

“This expansion is a devastating decision that will further endanger the lives and rights of women and girls worldwide,” said Sarah Costa, WRC’s Executive Director. “Sexual and reproductive health services, already decimated under recent US aid cuts, will be further dismantled. Worsening the damage, this expansion will force organizations into an impossible choice: lose critical funding for life-saving programs, or abandon commitments to gender equality, diversity, and advancing the human rights of women and girls. The consequences will be most severe for women and girls living in crisis, conflict, and displacement, who have the fewest alternatives for care.  

“This policy does nothing to improve health or safety; instead, it will leave women and girls more exposed to exploitation, violence, and abuse, leading to more suffering from sexual and gender-based violence, more early and forced marriages, and more maternal deaths that would otherwise be entirely preventable.”