Global Gag Rule
This chapter discusses the evolution of the global gag rule and the existing evidence on its effects. When it was announced in Mexico City, the policy created global uproar with its abrupt change in position on population control and abortion. Pressure from domestic antiabortion groups weighed heavily in the administration’s new policy stance on family-planning assistance. Subsequent rescissions and reinstatements of the global gag rule have caused large fluctuations in US funding for family planning, as demonstrated in the chapter’s analysis of aggregate data. Evidence from qualitative studies indicates that the restrictions on US family-planning assistance under George Bush beginning in 2001 caused major disruptions in service delivery, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This evidence is crucial for understanding the channels through which women’s reproductive health outcomes are related to restrictions on US foreign aid.