About the Project

The Global Gag Rule Impact Project is a collaborative research effort led by Population Action International (PAI) in partnership with Ipas, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the International Planned Parenthood Federation and with assistance in gathering evidence of impact in the field from EngenderHealth and Pathfinder International.

Recognizing the historic leadership role of the United States in supporting voluntary family planning and related health care internationally, the project's objective is to document the effects of the Global Gag Rule on the availability of life-saving family planning services, as well as efforts to address other major threats to public health, including HIV/AIDS and maternal deaths due to unsafe abortion.

Acknowledgements

The following foundations have provided generous support to this research initiative: the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; the Conservation, Food and Health Foundation; the John M. Lloyd Foundation; the MARPAT Foundation; the Lowe Family Foundation; the Mildred and Mary Wohlford Fund of the Tides Foundation; the Compton Foundation; the Moriah Fund; the Wallace Alexandar Gerbode Foundation; and an anonymous donor.

Original research began in 2002 and was written for the Global Gag Rule Impact Project by Jennifer Dusenberry, Margaret Greene and Wendy Turnbull of PAI; Barbara Crane of Ipas; and Valerie DeFillipo of Planned Parenthood Global Partners — and with assistance from Rachael Pine of EngenderHealth and Cara Hesse of Pathfinder International. Invaluable guidance was provided by Susan Cohen of
The Alan Guttmacher Institute.

Further research was conducted in 2004 to document the ongoing effects of the Global Gag Rule in many countries. Updated and new country case studies were written by Dina Bogecho, Katherine Suellentrop and Wendy Turnbull of PAI.

The project owes special thanks to the field staff of EngenderHealth, Pathfinder International and Ipas — and to other program administrators and staff, clients, advocates, and government officials — from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Romania, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and elsewhere, who took the time to answer our questions and share their stories about how the Global Gag Rule is affecting their ability to provide health care to women and families in their communities. In particular, we express gratitude to the dedicated staff of the local family planning associations and to the Marie Stopes International country programs, as well as to their colleagues at headquarters in London.

Many colleagues in the family planning and reproductive health community (too numerous to recognize individually) provided essential background information and reviewed drafts of these materials.

In addition, this work could not have been completed without the contributions of many individuals at PAI, in particular Daniele Anastasion, Terri Bartlett, Kimberley Cline, Amy Coen, Bob Engelman, Sally Ethelston, Sarah Haddock, Brian Hewitt, Susan Howells, Malissa Lash, Craig Lasher, Lindsay Patterson, Katie Porter, Tod Preston, Jennifer Shatwell and Julia Slatcher.

The same family planning providers who lose funding due to the gag rule are those on the front line in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS .