Public lecture by Yana Rodgers, Professor, Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations, and Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, Rutgers University.

The long arm of U.S. domestic politics has reached the intimate lives of women all over the world because it has threatened major cuts in funding to healthcare organizations in developing countries if they perform or promote abortions. This “global gag rule,” so-called because to even mention abortion endangers funding, has been a hallmark of Republican administrations since it was first enacted by President Ronald Reagan. When President Donald Trump reinstated and expanded the policy, there was popular uproar and a firestorm of debate. 

In this talk, Professor Rodgers argues that the gag rule has failed to achieve its goal of reducing abortions. Rather, the restrictive legislation is associated with higher abortion rates, and there are negative repercussions across a range of health outcomes for women, children, and men. She offers a more constructive and cost-effective approach for U.S. family planning assistance.