Access Denied Case Studies
On January 23, 2017, President Donald Trump signed a “Presidential Memorandum regarding the Mexico City Policy.” The memorandum reimposed the Mexico City Policy in effect during the George W. Bush administration (2001-2009) and directed the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, “to implement a plan to extend the requirements of the reinstated Memorandum to global health assistance furnished by all departments and agencies.”
The expanded Mexico City Policy restrictions were renamed “Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance, also known by its critics as Trump’s Global Gag Rule. The policy prohibits U.S. global health assistance from being provided to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that perform abortion in cases other than a threat to the life of the woman, rape or incest; provide counseling (including advice or information) and/or referral for abortion; or lobby to make abortion legal or more available in their own country, even if these activities are performed with funding from other, non-U.S. government (USG), sources. While the restrictions only applied to USG family planning assistance during prior Republican presidential administrations, the Trump administration policy is imposed on virtually all USG global health assistance.
To document the preliminary impacts of Trump’s Global Gag Rule on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, PAI conducted fact-finding trips documenting the impact of this harmful policy.
Download the reports below.
Access Denied – 2018
Access Denied: Senegal – Preliminary Impacts of Trump’s Expanded Global Gag Rule
Access Denied: Nepal – Preliminary Impacts of Trump’s Expanded Global Gag Rule
Access Denied: Ethiopia – Preliminary Impacts of Trump’s Expanded Global Gag Rule
Access Denied: Nigeria – Preliminary Impacts of Trump’s Expanded Global Gag Rule
Access Denied: Uganda – Preliminary Impacts of Trump’s Expanded Global Gag Rule
Access Denied – 2005
Access Denied – U.S. Restrictions on International Family Planning Executive Summary
Access Denied – The Impact of the Global Gag Rule in Ethiopia
Access Denied – The Impact of the Global Gag Rule in Ghana
Access Denied – The Impact of the Global Gag Rule in Kenya
Access Denied – The Impact of the Global Gag Rule in Nepal
Access Denied – The Impact of the Global Gag Rule in Tanzania
Access Denied – The Impact of the Global Gag Rule in Zambia
Access Denied – The Impact of the Global Gag Rule in Zimbabwe
The Global Gag Rule and Contraceptive Supplies
The Global Gag Rule and Maternal Deaths Due to Unsafe Abortions