Barack Obama is expected to change the restrictive policy of the U.S. towards abortion and prevention when it comes to American aid.
While Barack Obama is met with justified skepticism amongst Palestinians, Afghans, and Iraqis, there are great expectations for his presidency amongst organizations who are working for health rights with regards to pregnancy and birth (reproductive rights).
The election means that the U.S. will once again be a part of the global consensus in the work for sexual and reproductive rights, says Director-General Gill Greer at the head office of the world's largest voluntary organization for family planning, International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF), in London.
Greer reminds us that the U.S. played a leading role in the field under Bill Clinton, and that it was reversed when George W. Bush reinstated the so-called Global Gag Rule in 2001 (Mexico City Policy, originally introduced by the Reagan administration in 1984).
The Gag Rule means that it is illegal to give American aid funds to organizations who perform, inform, or refer people to have abortions. This impacts all aspects of the work organizations do, including normal health clinic work.
The Gag Rule had a terrible effect in developing countries and had dramatic consequences for the IPPF member organizations and many other organizations capable of giving necessary aid, Greer says.
As a consequence of cuts in American aid, the IPPF had to close at least six clinics in Kenya, and in Ghana they had to stop a major project for local health services.
IPPF is also in despair over the Bush administration's emphasis of sobriety and monogamy in the work against AIDS, instead of promoting the use of condoms.
If the Gag Rule is revoked and means of prevention financed by USAID is made available, the immediate effect will be that thousands of women will once again have access to the services and prevention they badly need. Increased access to prevention will also dramatically and directly reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions, and will therefore save women's and mothers' lives, Greer says.
IPPF estimates that around 70,000 women die each year from unsafe abortions.
The IPPF has received clear signals from Barack Obamas advisers of a fast change in policy towards abortion and prevention.
Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush used the first day in office for the important symbolic task of changing the Global Gag Rule. Obama is expected to do the same.
On Sunday, The Washington Post wrote that Obama's advisers have already made a list of around 200 decisions from the Bush era that can be changed quickly, and the Gag Rule is on the list.
In addition to reproductive rights, topics range from stem cell research to climate policy.
When Barack Obama starts the reversal of the Bush administration's abortion policy, he will have more supporters in congress than at present.
The organization NARAL Pro-Choice America has made an estimate of the newly elected and departing members of congress' attitudes towards abortion.
In the departing Congress, 268 members are pro-life, 200 are pro-choice, and 67 are so-called mixed choice," voting both ways. During the last election pro-choice members gained 21 seats, while pro-life lost just as many.
Percentage-wise, pro-choice members of congress increased from 37 to 41 percent, while anti-abortion members went from 50 to 46 percent. Mixed choice remained at 13 percent. Despite the progress, this means that pro-choice members have to have support from the group of mixed choice to pass bills through Congress.
NARAL underlines that the numbers are estimates and not final. There are still three undecided seats in the Senate. In these numbers NARAL has also included Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden, who will be replaced when they take office as president and vice president. Two representatives are also up for election on the 6th of December.
The Democrats have traditionally been the party for liberal abortion rights, while the Republicans have been the pro-life party. [The fact that] the number of pro-choice members of Congress is at 40 percent while the Democrats have a large majority in both chambers shows that this picture is not that simple.
Pro-lifers have done extensive lobbying in Congress to win over Democrats. But both Obama and Biden are using their "approved" stamp in favor of NARAL.
Kneblingsregel for fall
Barack Obama forventes å endre USAs restriktive politikk på abort og prevensjon når det gjelder amerikansk utviklingshjelp.
Mens Barack Obama møtes med berettiget skepsis blant palestinere, afghanere og irakere, er det store forventninger til hans presidentperiode blant organisasjoner som jobber for helserettigheter knyttet til svangerskap og fødsel (reproduktive rettigheter).
Tilbake på banen
- Valget betyr at USA igjen blir en del av den globale konsensusen i arbeidet med seksuelle og reproduktive rettigheter, sier generaldirektør Gill Greer ved hovedkontoret til verdens største frivillige organisasjon for familieplanlegging, International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF), i London.
Greer minner om at USA under Bill Clinton spilte en ledende rolle på feltet, noe som ble kraftig reversert da George W. Bush i 2001 gjeninnførte den såkalte Global Gag Rule, (Mexico City Policy, opprinnelig innført av Reagan-administrasjonen i 1984).
«Kneblingsregelen» innebærer at det ikke er lov å gi amerikanske bistandsmidler til organisasjoner som utfører, opplyser om eller henviser til abort. Dette rammer alt arbeid organisasjonene driver, også vanlig helseklinikkarbeid.
- Kneblingsregelen fikk en forferdelig virkning i utviklingslandene, og fikk dramatiske konsekvenser for IPPFs medlemsorganisasjoner, og mange andre organisasjoner, sin mulighet til å gi nødvendig helsehjelp, sier Greer.
Som følge av kutt i amerikansk bistand måtte IPPF stenge minst seks klinikker i Kenya, og i Ghana måtte de avslutte et stort prosjekt for lokal helsetjeneste.
IPPF fortviler også over Bush-administrasjonens vektlegging på avholdenhet og monogami i aidsforebyggingen, i stedet for fremme kondombruk.
- Dersom kneblingsregelen blir trukket tilbake, og prevensjonsmidler finansiert av USAID blir gjort lett tilgjengelige, vil den umiddelbare effekten være at tusenvis av kvinner igjen vil få tilgang til de tjenester og prevensjonsmidler de trenger så sårt. Økt tilgang til prevensjonsmidler vil også dramatisk og direkte redusere spredningen av seksuelt overførbare sykdommer, uønskete svangerskap og utrygge aborter, og dermed redde kvinners og mødres liv, sier Greer.
IPPF anslår at rundt 70.000 kvinner årlig dør av utrygge aborter.
Endrer politikken
IPPF har nå fått klare signaler fra Barack Obamas rådgivere om en rask omlegging av politikken for abort og prevensjon.
Både Bill Clinton og George W. Bush benyttet første dag i arbeid som president til den viktige symbolhandlingen det har vært å endre Global Gag Rule fram og tilbake. Nå ventes det at Obama vil gjøre det samme.
Washington Post skrev søndag at Obamas rådgivere allerede har satt opp en liste på rundt 200 vedtak fra Bush-perioden som kan omgjøres nokså raskt, og nevner kneblingsregelen som en av disse.
Foruten reproduktive rettigheter dreier det seg blant annet om spørsmål knyttet til stamcelleforskning og klimapolitikk.
Haler innpå
Når Barack Obama tar fatt på reverseringen av Bush-administrasjonens abortpolitikk, vil han ha flere støttespillere i den påtroppende Kongressen enn det er i den nåværende.
Organisasjonen Naral Pro-Choice America har gjort et foreløpig overslag over hvordan de nyvalgte og de avtroppende kongressmedlemmene stiller seg til abort.
I den avtroppende Kongressen er det 268 abortmotstandere, 200 som er for selvbestemt abort, og 67 såkalt «Mixed Choice», som stemmer med begge sider. Ved sist valg fikk tilhengerne av selvbestemt abort 21 nye seter, mens abortmotstanderne mistet like mange. I prosent økte antall kongressmedlemmer som er for selvbestemt abort fra 37 til 41 prosent, mens abortmotstanderne gikk tilbake fra 50 til 46 prosent. «Mixed Choice» sto stabilt på 13 prosent. Tross framgang betyr dette at tilhengerne av liberale abort- og prevensjonsrettigheter fortsatt må ha støtte fra gruppen av usikre for å få vedtak gjennom i Kongressen.
Naral understreker at tallene er anslag, og ikke endelige tall. Det er fortsatt tre uavklarte seter i Senatet fra valget nå. I tallene har Naral også inkludert senatorene Barack Obama og Joe Biden, som vil bli erstattet når de tiltrer som president og visepresident. Dessuten står to representanter (en fra hver side) på valg 6. desember.
Demokratene har tradisjonelt vært partiet for liberale abortrettigheter, mens Republikanerne har vært abortmotstandernes parti. At antall «Pro Choice» i Kongressen anslås til knapt 40 prosent, mens Demokratene har stort flertall i begge kamre, viser at bildet langt fra er så entydig.
Abortmotstanderne har lenge drevet målrettet lobbyarbeid for å vinne også demokrater for sitt syn. Både Obama og Biden får likevel godkjentstempel hos Naral for sin stemmegivning i Senatet.
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link
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[T]he Republican president managed to make the meeting revolve around his interests — the debate about the 5% — and left out ... the White House’s attitude toward the Kremlin.
Since Latin America has been extremely dependent on the U.S., a change in the power relations between the U.S. and China will also be felt strongest there.
Hall and the actors have perhaps chosen an unassuming format in order to tell such an intense story. But they turn this limitation into an artistic triumph.
Pro lifers do not want a solution of any type! They want to keep this issue on the front page and continue to beat the rest of us over the head with their interpretation of the bible!
When it has been proved that birth control and sex education, drastically reduce the need for abortion, the pro lifers demand that sex education be taken out of our schools and all government programs deny assistance to any program that teaches any sort of birth control or recommends the use of condoms! Denying government support for using condoms has greatly increased the transmission of sexual transmitted diseases, especially aids!
George Bush was especially proud of himself when he used a ‘signing statement’ on the legislation to basically nullify what Congress and the people of the United States wanted!
The United States will be soon rid of “the smirking chimp”, we are holding our breath until 20 January 2009!
Pro lifers do not want a solution of any type! They want to keep this issue on the front page and continue to beat the rest of us over the head with their interpretation of the bible!
When it has been proved that birth control and sex education, drastically reduce the need for abortion, the pro lifers demand that sex education be taken out of our schools and all government programs deny assistance to any program that teaches any sort of birth control or recommends the use of condoms! Denying government support for using condoms has greatly increased the transmission of sexual transmitted diseases, especially aids!
George Bush was especially proud of himself when he used a ‘signing statement’ on the legislation to basically nullify what Congress and the people of the United States wanted!
The United States will be soon rid of “the smirking chimp”, we are holding our breath until 20 January 2009!