Healthiest Generation

By Michelle Olakkengil

Back to school. In between frantically packing (because I left everything until the last possible minute) and registering for a painful 25-credit semester, I have a lot of thoughts racing through my mind. One of these thoughts, oddly, is the global gag rule, a terrible policy which is threatening the lives of women and girls around the world. I was a fellow with Planned Parenthood this past year and spent time on campus and at the UN advocating against the policy. And now in grad school, I’m building knowledge and skills to combat the global gag rule head on. As I reflect on my work that past year, my mind can’t help but wander back to my practicum last summer in Madagascar.

Waking up to grinning children huddled around my home; painting the nails of young mothers; eating delicious cassava among the villagers. These are just a few snapshots from my interviews with families in rural villages in Madagascar. I was collecting narratives to learn more about what was important to Malagasy women and girls. Many of the stories I heard connected me back to the issues I faced as an Indian American, especially the cultural taboos around things like talking about sex. I got to speak with people like 35-year-old Fara,* who, after her ninth child, made the choice to receive contraceptive services at a nearby health clinic. Fara says there are other women in her community who want to limit their births, but they don’t know how.

Family planning can increase the number of adolescent girls pursuing an education, empower women to join the workforce, ameliorate the impact of violence, reduce early pregnancy and child marriage, and prevent maternal deaths, creating more sustainable and resilient futures. However, an estimated 214 million women in developing countries who want to delay or avoid pregnancy do not have access to modern contraceptive methods.

The vital work to address that gap is under threat by the Trump administration, which has placed women’s health and rights on the chopping block. Deep cuts to international family planning and a ban on U.S. funding to the United Nations Population Fund (the UN agency devoted to the provision of critical family planning services, especially in humanitarian settings) have drastically harmed health care systems, but perhaps the greatest threat to public health has been a dangerous policy called the global gag rule.

What is the global gag rule?

The global gag rule, also known as the Mexico City policy, was first enacted by the Reagan administration in 1984. The rule historically denied foreign non-governmental organizations from receiving U.S. family planning assistance if they provided information, referrals, or services for safe, legal abortions or advocated for access to abortion even with their own, separate funds. On Jan. 23, 2017, in one of his first acts as president, Trump aggressively expanded the policy to apply to all U.S. global health assistance, affecting programs addressing HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and much more.

What does it do?

The global gag rule is a death sentence for the world’s most vulnerable women and girls.

Since its reinstatement, the global gag rule has prevented health care organizations with the greatest reach from providing comprehensive, scientifically accurate, and non-discriminatory services to the most marginalized communities — including women, people in rural villages, LGBTQ people, and sex workers.

Organizations like the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which operates in Madagascar through its member association Fianakaviana Sambatra (FISA), estimate that the lost funding could have globally prevented 20,000 maternal deaths, 4.8 million unintended pregnancies, and 1.7 million unsafe abortions. Clinics just like the one Fara went to are shutting down, which means women like her will be unable to receive HIV treatments, prenatal care, and screenings for gender-based violence. This will also obstruct access to nutrition programs and life-saving immunizations for the children in her community.

Until we stop the global gag rule, the policy will continue to jeopardize the health and well-being of millions of women and girls and the families that depend on them.

What can we do?

As students, we sometimes render ourselves helpless and think, “what can I really do?” For a long time, I’ve been guilty of this feeling. But, realize this – change starts with and builds from the communities we belong to.

Over the past year, I have been a global youth advocacy fellow with Planned Parenthood Global. As a fellow, I’ve actively engaged with my university to educate hundreds of people on the impact of U.S. policy on sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide, as well as involve other student leaders and organizations in this work.

When you head back to school, here are some things you can do to advocate around this issue:

1. Educate Your Peers

Leverage the relationships you have and speak to members of campus organizations that you’re a part of. Consider presenting on this topic for a class you’ve taken or you’re taking now (the professors for classes I’ve done this in have been pretty supportive!)

2. Join Your Planned Parenthood Generation Action Chapter

Organize programs and rallies with the help of your chapter and local Planned Parenthood affiliate. Consider collaborating with partner organizations and pooling your resources to reach all students on campus, including those left in the margins (commuter, international, and non-traditional students to name a few). Anything from intimate, small-group discussions to hundred-person marches can be effective.

3. Contact Your Members of Congress

One of the most important things we can do is let our elected officials know that we care about reproductive health — in our communities and around the world. Encourage your senators and representatives to:

Support funding for international family planning and reproductive health programs, including the restoration of funding to UNFPA.

Champion the Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights (HER) Act, which would end the global gag rule.

Since people in other countries affected by our policies don’t have the same voice to influence our government, we must use our voices and privileges to stand up for these rights.

As a first-generation Indian American woman, I found myself in the stories, joys, and struggles of women in Madagascar like Fara. I realized that my rights are compromised until we all attain the highest levels of human dignity. We must work together to expand these rights that are deeply intertwined and affect us all — no matter who we are or where we live.

*Name changed to preserve the anonymity of the individual.

Trigger warning: The following post mentions an incident of sexual assault.

“In the case of Juana, a pregnant 14-year-old who had arrived to the health center twice before with her mother....the doctors knew her pregnancy was the product of sexual violence, and yet, they never notified the authorities. Eventually, her 11-year-old sister, Camila, arrived to the health center. She was also pregnant. Both girls had been repeatedly raped by their stepfather. This time around, the medical professionals notified the authorities, but it was too late: Juana had been abducted by her abuser.”

More than 17,000 girls under 14 years old gave birth in Ecuador between 2009 and 2016. The vast majority were victims of rape.

Virginia Gómez de la Torre is an Ecuadorian activist, doctor, mother of two, and president of Fundación Desafio. Last week, she was invited to a dialogue on violence against women with newly sworn in President Lenín Moreno of Ecuador and his wife, first lady Rocio Gonzalez. She used her five minutes to deliver a fiery call to action:

Watch Virginia’s amazing intervention on YouTube: 

[Her speech begins at 25:55]

Youth in Burkina Faso and everywhere deserve access to health care.

via Planned Parenthood Global partner campaign, Silence Kills

Corazón del Agua and Galileo University, both Planned Parenthood Global partners in Guatemala, are training the next generation of local midwives! They have just launched the second phase of their “Professional Midwifery Program,” a program focusing on delivering health care to indigenous women in culturally appropriate ways.

Our friends at Every Mother Counts have produced a series of pictures of the staff and students of the program. Click here to check them out and learn more!

“Would you like to study midwifery? This is your opportunity! The Corazón del Agua Association and the Galileo University are running their second ‘Professional Midwifery Program with an Intercultural Focus.’”

Join Da Subject Matter for their second Tweet Chat of the year this Thursday, June 16 at 1:00pm ET / 6:00pm Abuja Time. 

Da Subject Matter is a joint effort by Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to make sexual and reproductive health information and access to services available to young people in Nigeria.