- Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Family Planning
- Women, Girls, and HIV
- Maternal Health
- U.S. Foreign Policy & Funding
- Watch: Making U.S. Foreign Assistance Work for Women and Girls in Ethiopia
- Global Health Initiative
- Integrating HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health: U.S. Foreign Policy
- Female Condoms: Dual Protection
- Global Gag Rule
- Helms Amendment
- Foreign Assistance Budget
- Foreign Assistance Reform
- Kemp-Kasten Amendment
- Abstinence & Fidelity
- Anti-Prostitution Pledge
- The Critical Role of Advocacy in Foreign Assistance
- Why Women and Girls?
U.S. Foreign Policy & Funding
In 1994, the U.S. joined 178 other countries in signing the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action. This agreement marked an historic reframing of family planning, refocusing efforts away from population reduction and toward a focus on women’s health and human rights. Women’s groups also succeeded in gaining international recognition of the fundamental rights of reproductive self-determination and reproductive health care.
In 2010, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton strongly reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the ICPD framework. However, the U.S. government has not yet translated the principles and priorities of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights into action through its international policies and foreign assistance.
For example, the U.S. response to global sexual and reproductive health issues is segregated. Instead of being addressed holistically, these issues are “siloed” by different offices, agencies, and funding mechanisms. They are governed by different policies and evaluated separately.
In practice, this means that global HIV programs have not typically supported family planning for HIV positive women who want to postpone or avoid childbearing. Women receiving U.S.-supported prenatal care may not receive counseling on effective family planning methods. U.S.-funded HIV testing centers are not required to integrate screening for gender-based violence.
Also, a comprehensive and collaborative approach to sexual and reproductive health has been further complicated by politically-motivated funding restrictions that run counter to the promotion of health and human rights.
See CHANGE's report Reproductive Justice for All: Toward a U.S. Foreign Policy on Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
How foreign assistance breaks down: The Foreign Assistance Dashboard provides a view of U.S. Government foreign assistance funds and enables users to examine, research, and track aid investments in a standard and easy-to-understand format. It was initiated by the Department of State and USAID under the policy guidance of the National Security Staff.
Urge your Senators to Support International Family Planning Funding
Tell your Senators that you support full funding for international family planning and a permanent repeal of the Global Gag Rule.
Take Action
Tell your Representative to Support the United Nations
Congress is now considering a bill (H.R. 2829) that would effectively end our relationship with the United Nations. Act now and tell your Representative to oppose this harmful piece of legislation.
Take Action
Take Action on the Global Gag Rule
Join your voice with others and urge your member of Congress to co-sponsor the Global Democracy Promotion Act of 2011, a bill that would create a legislative barrier to block attempts by a future administration to re-instate the Global Gag Rule.
Take Action
Raise your voice for the Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act
Ask your Representative to co-sponsor the Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act (H.R. 1319), newly introduced legislation that promotes a truly comprehensive and integrated approach to U.S. international reproductive health programs.
Take Action
Tell your Representative to Oppose Elimination of International Family Planning Funding
The House is currently debating a spending bill (H.R. 1) that, as it stands, would drastically decrease funding for international family planning and reproductive health, global HIV/AIDS, and maternal and child health programs and services. We need you to speak out for women's health and rights today!
Take Action
Help Make U.S. Global AIDS Programs Work for Women
Send a postcard to Ambassador Goosby, the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, and urge him to make U.S. global AIDS programs and policies work harder and better for women and girls worldwide.
Take Action
Urge your Representative to Co-Sponsor the ICPD Resolution
Urge your member of Congress to support sexual and reproductive health and rights and sustainable development globally by co-sponsoring Rep. Lee's ICPD resolution.
Take Action
- Americans for UNFPA
- Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA)
- Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR)
- ForeignAssistance.gov
- International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)
- International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC)
- Ipas
- PEPFAR Watch
- Population Action International (PAI)
- Prevention Now!
- Reproductive Health Matters
Source$15 billion - Launched in 2003 by President George W. Bush, PEPFAR pledged $15 billion over 5 years to combat global HIV/AIDS.
Source$48 billion - PEPFAR was reauthorized on July 30, 2008 and authorized $48 billion through fiscal year 2013.
Source0 - Emergency contraception (EC) is not distributed by USAID.
Source35 - In real terms, U.S. support for family planning is at the same level now as it was 35 years ago.
Why the Global Fund Matters
Ten years ago, the heads of the G-8 countries met in Genoa, Italy, to back the establishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria — a new funding mechanism that dramatically increased resources available to fight preventable, treatable diseases stalking the poor and depleting developing economies around the globe.
UNAIDS and PEPFAR welcome the launch of the Business Leadership Council to end new HIV infections am
Davos, Switzerland, 27 January 2012 — UNAIDS and PEPFAR welcome the launch at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland of two new initiatives by business leaders—the Business Leadership Council for a “Generation Born HIV Free” and the Social Media Syndicate to end new HIV infections in children.
International Initiatives to Advance the Human Rights of LGBT Persons
The struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States commitment to promoting human rights. I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT persons around the world whether it is passing laws that criminalize LGBT status, beating citizens simply for joining peaceful LGBT pride celebrations, or killing men, women, and children for their perceived sexual orientation.
Will Obama follow through on Clinton’s ‘AIDS-free generation’ speech?
BY LORETTA CIRALDO AND KATRINA CIRALDO Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a speech recently that most will never hear. But she said something we all should know: “Creating an AIDS-free generation has never been a policy priority for the United States government — until today.” Or in other words, we can end AIDS.
UNFPA Latest Victim of House Republican War on Women
Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee are using smoke and mirrors to try to distract us all from their real intentions of being the most anti-woman, anti-life crusaders the U.S. Congress has seen in decades. But, we're not falling for their thinly-veiled hypocrisy. And neither should the U.S. public.
Humanitarian Aid for Rape Victims
On his third day in office, President Obama issued an executive order lifting the odious “global gag rule” that denied federal money for family planning work abroad to any group that performed abortions or counseled about the procedure, even with its own money. But he left standing another policy that imposes similar speech restrictions and bans using foreign aid money for abortions — even to save a woman’s life or in cases of rape in war zones like Congo, Sudan and Burma.
Women and HIV
What is it with women and girls? Why are we always left behind? Why can’t we choose the things we want to be a part of? Why must we always race to the front, rather than be left peacefully alone when we would rather not partake? Is it because, as women, we are strong, powerful, and the foundation of our society?
Hillary Clinton Touts Global Health Initiative as Key Foreign Policy Tool
"What exactly does maternal health or immunizations or the fight against HIV and AIDS have to do with foreign policy?" Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton queried a packed crowd of faculty and students at the Johns Hopkins School of Advance International Studies on Monday. "Well, my answer is 'everything.' "
Sexual and Reproductive Rights and the U.S. Global Health Initiative
The U.S. Global Health Initiative (GHI) is a comprehensive policy approach that seeks to strengthen, streamline, and increase the efficiency of existing U.S. global health funding programs—to achieve greater impact with every dollar.
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File Under: Fact Sheets
What Does Family Planning Have to do With HIV? Everything.
Voluntary family planning is an indispensible component of HIV prevention and treatment.
Download this PDFFile Under: Fact Sheets
Fact Sheet: Global Democracy Promotion Act of 2011
The Global Democracy Promotion Act of 2011 provides that the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act cannot impose eligibility restrictions on international recipients of U.S. aid that would be illegal if imposed nationally. Would constitute a legislative repeal of the Mexico City Policy, also called the Global Gag Rule.
Download this PDFFile Under: Fact Sheets
Female Condoms and U.S. Foreign Assistance: An Unfinished Imperative for Women’s Health
Female Condoms and U.S. Foreign Assistance: An Unfinished Imperative for Women's Health, summarizes U.S. support for female condoms, identifies barriers, and offers concrete recommendations for improving U.S. efforts to increase access and availability of female condoms.
Download this PDFFile Under: Research Documents
Fact Sheet: Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act
The Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act (H.R. 1319) establishes U.S. policy and authorizes assistance to support universal access to sexual and reproductive health care in developing countries, including contraception and safe abortion.
Download this PDFFile Under: Fact Sheets
Policy Recommendations: Married Women and HIV: Comprehensive Prevention
In the absence of community-based efforts to alter the social structures that promote infidelity, public health programs which aim to reduce married women’s risk by telling men to be faithful will not succeed.
Download this PDFFile Under: Fact Sheets
Research Summary: Marital Sex and the HIV Risk for Women Worldwide
Globally, women’s risk of contracting HIV is heightened if they are married, largely due to men’s extramarital sexual relationships. Despite this clear risk, current efforts to prevent the spread of HIV fall far short of protecting married women.
Marital Sex and HIV/AIDSFile Under: Fact Sheets
Human Trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and the Sex Sector
Current U.S. foreign policy relating to adults in the sex sector violates basic human rights, distracts from effective anti-trafficking efforts, and directly impedes global health programs intended to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.
Download this PDFFile Under: Research Documents
U.S. Foreign Policy & Funding Topics
Watch: Making U.S. Foreign Assistance Work for Women and Girls in Ethiopia
This video documents CHANGE's 2010 study tour to Ethiopia and makes policy recommendations for improving the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls in Ethiopia.
Global Health Initiative
The GHI, introduced in 2009, is the first U.S. international development effort that promotes a woman-centered approach to integrated health services.
Integrating HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health: U.S. Foreign Policy
HIV prevention and treatment is intrinsically linked to sexual and reproductive health. However, PEPFAR programming addresses these critical health issues in isolation.
Female Condoms: Dual Protection
The female condom is currently the only available HIV-prevention and family-planning method that women can initiate themselves. Yet, globally, female condoms continue to be underfunded and underused because of cost, stigma, and a lack of political will.
Global Gag Rule
Documentation and analysis of the Global Gag Rule shows that the policy restricts a basic right to speech and the right to make informed health decisions.
Helms Amendment
The Helms amendment prohibits U.S. funds from being used to provide abortion services or information.
Foreign Assistance Budget
Foreign assistance accounts for about one percent of the total U.S. budget.
Foreign Assistance Reform
To increase the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance spending, policy makers are currently working to reorganize foreign assistance and bring greater coherence to the country's aid structure.
Kemp-Kasten Amendment
The Kemp-Kasten Amendment prohibits foreign aid to any organization that the administration determines is involved in coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.
Abstinence & Fidelity
When Congress reauthorized the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2008, it loosened, yet maintained, a funding preference for programs that focus on abstinence and faithfulness to the exclusion of condom education.
Anti-Prostitution Pledge
The anti-prostitution pledge requires organizations receiving U.S. funds to explicitly oppose prostitution, which compromises health services for sex workers--one of the groups at highest risk for HIV infection.
The Critical Role of Advocacy in Foreign Assistance
CHANGE President Serra Sippel addresses academic researchers about the proven efficacy of research-informed advocacy in foreign assistance. (Podcast and PowerPoint)
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