The US Mexico city policy: brief history and impact on women's health and beyond

• Author: Jeney, Petra; Cotroneo, Clara
• Pages: 12-17

IPOL | Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs

12 PE 621.927

THE US MEXICO CITY POLICY: BRIEF HISTORY AND IMPACT ON

WOMEN’S HEALTH AND BEYOND

1.1. The US Mexico City Policy: historical developments and content

Recently, in 2019, the US Secretary of State has announced the expansion of the Mexico City Policy

(MCP), better known amongst its critics as the Global Gag Rule (GAG/GGR). This US policy had been

reinstated by the US administration in 2017 to block US funds to organizations or groups that perform

abortion services, provide information about abortion, or advocate for abortion rights. Through its

latest amendments of 2019, the new policy also blocks funding to organizations that, though not

directly involved in any of the three activities listed above, support other organizations engaged in the

provision of abortion services or pro-abortion advocacy. This study opens by presenting a concise, yet

comprehensive overview of the historical developments of the US MCP. In order to fully appreciate the

context in which this has been reinstated (Sections 1.2) and its impact on organizations, communities

and individuals globally (Sections 1.3), it is useful to first understand what the policy entails, how it is

formulated and which organizations and groups it affects. Furthermore, as the negative impact of the

MCP on the delivery of essential services was partly due to the vagueness of its formulation, this

introduction hopefully clarifies some aspec ts of its content and applicability.

In January 2017, US President reinstated the Mexico City Policy (MCP), also referred to as the Global Gag

Rule. The 2017 Gag is a policy that governs US foreign aid, by putting a ban on US funding to foreign

organizations or groups that perform, support or advocate for abortion. In essence, the US GAG/GGR

(re)directs US funding away from organizations involved in one, or more, of the following activities:

• Provide/perform abortion services;

• Provide advice and/or information about abortion services;

• Provide referrals for abortion;

• Lobby or advocate for the liberalization and non-criminalization of abortion;

• Campaign for abortion as a method for family planning;

• Perform or support coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.

In practice, the policy prevents the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from

providing foreign aid funds to international organizations and groups providing abortion related

services and information.1 The policy admits exceptions to funds provisions in the following cases:

• When abortion services are offered to women whose pregnancy results from sexual violence

or family incest;

• When the pregnancy puts the mother’s life at risk;

• When the service is provided to treat injuries or illness caused by illegal abortion;

• When a pregnant woman has decided to have a legal abortion and the family planning

counsellor believes that, following the code of ethics of the medical profession of his/her

country, they should provide the woman with information on where to access legal and safe

abortion services.

1 Presidential Document by the Execut ive Office of the President on 03/29/2001, availabl e at

https://www.federalregister. gov/documents/2001/03/29/01-8011/restorati on-of-the-mexico-city-policy