Last week, President Obama abolished the controversial Mexico City Policy, the Global Gag rule, which prohibited all American aid funding being used by non-government organisations in relation to abortion in developing countries.
Australia is now the only country in the world to restrict its aid funding, resulting in the unnecessary and preventable deaths of hundreds of thousands of women around the world.
“It is a disgrace that Australia is expecting women in developing countries, who live under circumstances of poverty and hardship, to not have the same rights as women in Australia,” said, Ary Laufer, Executive Officer for Marie Stopes International Australia.
“These women are real women, and by removing these guidelines they can be given real choices.”
The Australian Government’s AusAID Family Planning Guidelines are similar to America’s Global Gag Rule in that they prevent Australian funding from being used for activities, research, education or training related to abortion.
“This is not a legislative issue, and the power to save so many lives is as simple as Foreign Minister, Hon Stephen Smith signing his name and removing these barbaric guidelines,” said Mr Laufer.
Over the last four years maternal deaths in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have increased by 56% , and research shows that globally 13% of maternal deaths are attributed to unsafe abortion .
In the light of these statistics, the Australian Government needs to give serious and swift consideration to the removal of the Family Planning Guidelines and how many lives of PNG women, and women globally, could have been saved.
“As Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is currently visiting PNG, perhaps he would like to take the time to talk to the hundreds of families in that country, who have lost a wife, mother, sister or friend due to an unsafe abortion,” said Mr Laufer.
About Marie Stopes International Australia: Marie Stopes International Australia is an Australian not-for-profit, non-government, tax-deductible organisation (NGO) that provides vital reproductive health services in low-income communities in Asia Pacific region and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. For more information please visit www.mariestopes.org.au
For media enquiries contact Claire Maloney - Marie Stopes International Australia on 0431 279 785
