Foreign Policy: The White House Won’t Empower Women. Sudan’s Protests Will.
Sisonke Msimang, author

“…The White House global economic program for women hopes to promote business opportunities. Indeed, it echoes a wider focus within the Trump administration on job creation and economic development, rather than on human rights, good governance, and other traditional staples of U.S. foreign policy. And while the focus on jobs has some merits, the Trump administration has … doubled down on the global gag rule [also known as the Mexico City policy], which denies U.S. government [global health] funding to [foreign nongovernmental] organizations that provide [or promote] abortions [as a method of family planning] outside the United States. Many of these groups also support family planning, HIV treatment, primary health care, and nutrition programs — none of which can be funded if they provide abortions, even if using another donor’s money. … As women around the world focus on the toughest and most strategic issues for women — abortion, gender violence, and family planning — the U.S. government is unfortunately … underwriting programs that barely address the practical needs of women in poor countries while using the global gag rule to undermine their access to essential services…” (4/25).