Overview
On December 2-4, 2020, amfAR, CARE, CHANGE, the Global Health Justice and Governance Program at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Guttmacher Institute, International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC), and PAI co-hosted a three-day, five-continent, virtual symposium to discuss the impact of the Global Gag Rule (GGR) to date; legal strategies related to the rescission of the GGR; and policy advocacy strategies moving forward given the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Over the course of the 2020 GGR Symposium, participants from around the world contributed to panel discussions and joined breakout sessions to discuss the future of GGR research, legal strategies, and policy and advocacy goals. The key takeaways from these sessions – designed to share on social media – can be found below. For Twitter, you can easily click the button below each tweet to share messages automatically, and for Facebook and Instagram, simply copy and paste any of the messages you’d like to share on your own accounts.
Disclaimer:
Please review the tense of language in the messages below. Before you post anything, make sure to closely review the tense and content of each message to ensure it is in-line with policy updates - most importantly, the expected Executive Action after January 20, 2021, to rescind the Trump GGR.
General Messages on the GGR Symposium
In December 2020, @amfAR, @CARE, @SRHRforall, @ColumbiaPopFam, @Guttmacher, @IntlWomen, and @pai_org co-hosted a 3-day, 5-continent virtual symposium to discuss the impact and implications of the #GlobalGagRule under a new U.S. presidential administration.
Facebook/Instagram
In December 2020, amfAR, CARE, CHANGE, the Global Health Justice and Governance Program at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Guttmacher Institute, International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC), and PAI co-hosted a three-day, five-continent virtual symposium to discuss the impact and implications of the #GlobalGagRule under a new U.S. presidential administration.
Day One: Evidence from the Field
Research experts on the #GlobalGagRule are unanimous: Evidence shows the impact of the #GGR won’t just stop when it's rescinded. Many of the most damaging effects outlive the policy. Moving forward, research & policy efforts must focus on mitigating these impacts. #EndGlobalGag
Researchers at @CREHPA_Nepal & @ColumbiaPopFam found that over-implementation of the #GlobalGagRule by local orgs was prevalent in Nepal at mult. levels. Self-censorship, fear & mistrust are toxic to health systems & hard to dismantle: https://tinyurl.com/ggrnepal #EndGlobalGag
In Zambia, the #GlobalGagRule has reinforced regressive legal reform and policy processes, emboldened #SRHR opposition, and dismantled key #SRHR advocacy and partnerships. @MarieStopes_ZM #EndGlobalGag
As a result of their findings, researchers at @Guttmacher emphasize how donor stop-gap funding and adaptive organization strategies have helped mitigate some of the worst impacts of the #GGR, but these are not sustainable: https://tinyurl.com/ggrguttmacher #EndGlobalGag
Researchers at @ColumbiaPopFam documented how the #GGR creates supply & demand-side barriers to contraceptive equity in mult. countries. In Madagascar, women faced stock outs & a forced choice btwn paying for contraceptives or food. https://tinyurl.com/ggrmadagascar #EndGlobalGag
At @amfAR, research indicates that the #GlobalGagRule causes widespread disruptions to #PEPFAR services in areas with high #HIV prevalence - even for implementers that do not work on #abortion: https://tinyurl.com/ggramfar #EndGlobalGag
Translating research on the continued impacts of the #GlobalGagRule for U.S. policymakers & Hill staff will be crucial to supporting short-term policy goals like repealing #GGR under the @JoeBiden Admin & longer-term goals like passing the #GlobalHERAct in Congress.
Facebook/Instagram
Research experts on the #GlobalGagRule are unanimous: Evidence shows the impact of the #GGR won’t just stop when it's rescinded. Many of the most damaging effects outlive the policy. Moving forward, research and policy efforts must focus on mitigating its impact. #EndGlobalGag
Researchers at CREHPA in Nepal and Columbia University’s Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health found that over-implementation of the #GlobalGagRule by local organizations was prevalent in Nepal at multiple levels. Self-censorship, fear and mistrust are toxic to health systems and hard to dismantle: https://tinyurl.com/ggrnepal #EndGlobalGag
In Zambia, the #GlobalGagRule has reinforced regressive legal reform and policy processes, emboldened #SRHR opposition, and dismantled key #SRHR advocacy and partnerships. Marie Stopes Zambia #EndGlobalGag
As a result of their findings on the #GGR, researchers at Guttmacher Institute emphasize the need for organizational resiliency, in which strategies are shifted to help absorb impacts affecting women accessing #familyplanning services: https://tinyurl.com/ggrguttmacher #EndGlobalGag
Researchers at Columbia University’s Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health documented how the #GGR creates supply and demand-side barriers to contraceptive equity in multiple countries. In Madagascar, women faced stock outs and a forced choice between paying for contraceptives or food. https://tinyurl.com/ggrmadagascar #EndGlobalGag
At amfAR, research indicates that the #GlobalGagRule causes widespread disruptions to #PEPFAR services in areas with high HIV prevalence - even for implementers that do not work on #abortion: https://tinyurl.com/ggramfar #EndGlobalGag
Translating research and evidence on the continued impacts of the #GlobalGagRule for U.S. policymakers and Hill staff will be crucial to supporting short-term policy goals like repealing #GGR under the Biden-Harris Administration and longer-term goals like passing the #GlobalHERAct in Congress. #EndGlobalGag
Day Two: Legal Implications in the Future of the GGR
The #GlobalGagRule restricts foreign orgs working on SRHR in other countries with its anti-science, anti-human rights ideology - and the U.S. legal system offers limited avenues to directly challenge the policy. #EndGlobalGag
Even when the #GGR is rescinded, U.S. govt agencies need to
1) update guidance documents for partners; and
2) follow all other recommendations provided to them by 90 domestic + global advocates for #SRHR in the Blueprint for SRHRJ: https://bit.ly/2Ws9ub1
The int’l community can minimize the harmful impacts of anti-rights U.S. policies on SRHR by promoting human rights literacy, strengthening national-level human rights and SRHR protections, & continuing to collect data on the long-term impacts of the #GGR #EndGlobalGag
Facebook/Instagram
The #GlobalGagRule restricts foreign organizations working on SRHR in other countries with anti-science, anti-human rights ideology - and the U.S. legal system offers limited avenues for them to directly challenge the policy, despite the outsized influence it has on them. #EndGlobalGag
Even when the #GGR is rescinded, U.S. government agencies need to:
1) update guidance documents for implementing partners; and
2) follow all other recommendations provided to them by 90 domestic + global advocates for #SRHR in the Blueprint for SRHRJ: https://bit.ly/2Ws9ub1
The international community can minimize the harmful impacts of anti-rights U.S. policies on #SRHR work by promoting human rights literacy, strengthening regional and national-level human rights and #SRHR protections, and continuing to collect data on the long-term impacts of the #GlobalGagRule. #EndGlobalGag
Day 3: Friday, Dec 4 - Legal Implications in the Future of GGR
Long after the #GlobalGagRule is rescinded, its effects will continue. We need continued momentum to permanently end the policy and repair its damages by rebuilding health systems and fortifying legal SRHR frameworks. #EndGlobalGag
The two tweets below can be made into a thread manually on Twitter.
The #GlobalGagRule reduces access to critical health services, fractures health systems, and undermines national and global health goals. It’s time to stop playing politics with people’s lives and end the #GlobalGagRule once and for all. #EndGlobalGag
Ending the #GlobalGagRule through executive order is necessary but not sufficient. We must pass the #GlobalHERAct to ensure that access to critical sexual and reproductive health services in other countries is not dictated by a US president. #EndGlobalGag
Facebook/Instagram
The Global Gag Rule reduces access to critical health services--including contraception, HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, and abortion - fractures health systems, undermines national and global health goals, and leads to preventable deaths. It’s time to stop playing politics with people’s lives and end the deadly Global Gag Rule once and for all by passing the Global HER Act.
Ending the Global Gag Rule through executive order is necessary but not sufficient. The incoming Biden administration and Congress MUST make it a priority to pass the Global HER Act to ensure that access to critical sexual and reproductive services, like abortion, contraception, and HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, is not dictated by the U.S. president.
The impacts of the Global Gag Rule are felt long after the policy is rescinded. We need to maintain momentum to both permanently end the policy by passing the Global HER Act and repair its widespread and long-lasting effects by rebuilding health systems, fortifying national legal frameworks, and renewing broken networks.
Graphics/Images/Shareables
GGR Symposium Hosts:
- amfAR: @amfAR
- CARE: @CARE
- CHANGE: @SRHRforAll
- The Global Health Justice and Governance Program at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health: @ColumbiaPopFam
- Guttmacher Institute: @Guttmacher
- International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC): @IntlWomen
- PAI: @pai_org