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By: Karolina Granda, Editor-in-Chief
What is the Global Gag Rule?
The policy dates back to 1984, where it was first introduced at a United Nations conference in Mexico City, gathering its original name, ‘The Mexico City Policy.’ However, Trump’s decision to expand this policy has led to its current name, the Global Gag Rule. Essentially, this policy forbids governmental funding from going toward non-government pro-abortion organizations. Additionally, it does not allow such organizations to legally fund anything abortion related themselves. The legislation silences women through the Trump administration’s continued perseverance to limit their access to basic healthcare necessities.
Abortion is healthcare
It is necessary to begin this discussion by defining what health really means. According to the World Health Organization, health is defined as being a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Excess stress outlaws the ability to maintain a healthy mind and body. The need for an abortion varies on a situational basis. From financial limitations, to life-threatening diagnoses, to rape victims, to mental health struggles that challenge a woman’s ability to manage proper self-care – the criminalization of women’s reproductive rights invariably serves as a life-threatening condition, whether it be the decline of the quality of her life or oftentimes, the quantity. The National Library of Medicine in 2023, raised the critical questions of “How high and imminent must the risk of death be before treatment is allowed? Do patients who develop complications, such as pulmonary hypertension or cardiomyopathy, that incur a 20%–50% risk of death with ongoing pregnancy, qualify for treatment? What about women who are diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy?” Notably, NIH answers these frequently occurring hypotheticals with the fact that death risk is greatly reduced by abortion access. Taking this into account, it is clear to see the importance of abortion accessibility as a woman’s baseline of healthcare needs. In such times, it is not sufficient enough to understand the correlation between abortion and healthcare, but rather how abortion is healthcare.
How are women impacted today?
The expansion of this rule has not even led to its guaranteed result of reduced abortion rates. It has only resulted in an increased number of unsafe abortion rates. The legality of abortion does not constitute its necessity. Pregnant women undergoing various birth prohibitory factors such as those previously discussed are forced to take matters into their own hands. This is an undoubtably dangerous and oftentimes fatal route to take, but it guarantees a glimmer of hope that not going through with such procedure completely eliminates. To conclude, The Center for Reproductive Rights effectively summarizes that “The Global Gag Rule undermines fundamental human rights to life, health, equality, information, privacy and expression,” (January 2025).
