"Last night, the United States Senate took a concrete step to promote democracy, free speech and women’s reproductive health worldwide by voting to overturn the Global Gag Rule. By doing so, the Senate has sent a strong message to the world and to President Bush: America believes that the ideals of free speech, fairness and democracy should be upheld everywhere, not just within its own borders."

"Imposed by executive order of President Bush on January 22, 2001, the Global Gag Rule prohibits foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that receive U.S. family planning funds from using their own, non-U.S. monies to provide legal abortion services, to advocate for abortion law reform, or even to provide full and accurate medical information about abortion to their patients. Groups that seek to place further restrictions on abortion are, however, still eligible to receive U.S. funding. The consequences of this policy are deadly."

• Unsafe abortion is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide, leading to the deaths of 78,000 women a year.
  
• In Nepal, which in 2002 liberalized what had been one of the world’s harshest abortion laws, half of all maternal deaths have been due to unsafe abortions. The Global Gag Rule places NGOs that are saving women’s lives by increasing access to safe, legal abortions in the untenable position of stopping their efforts or forgoing desperately needed US funds.
  
• In Kenya, where the Health Minister has suggested legalizing abortion in order to decrease the high levels of maternal death and injury from unsafe abortion, organizations that accept US funds are barred from stating the undeniable fact that legalizing abortion might help reduce maternal mortality and morbidity.

"By stifling debate and the ability of foreign NGOs to lobby their own governments and inform their fellow citizens, the Global Gag Rule violates their right to exercise freedom of speech and freedom to participate in their government. The restriction erects barriers to the development of the democratic process in other countries, the promotion of civil society abroad, the enhancement of women’s equality, and the credibility of the United States in international settings, thus undermining bedrock U.S. foreign policy objectives. Because the Global Gag Rule would be unconstitutional if directly applied to U.S.-based NGOs, it creates a hypocritical double standard."

"We applaud the Senators who have taken this important stance and urge the House of Representatives to follow suit."

The vote to overturn the Global Gag Rule was offered as an amendment to the State Department Authorization Bill by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

To learn more about the Global Gag Rule, visit On the Hill