Ashton MuchaThis executive-order-obsessed administration is just getting started in its war on women.
Trump’s reinstatement of a “global gag order” that removes American federal funding for any organization in any part of the world that dares to even mention terminating a pregnancy as an option for women is about more than just abortion. It is yet another executive order, made quickly and brutally, that shows blatant disregard for the needs of the powerless all over the world. This legislation, originally introduced during the Reagan administration (and repealed by Clinton, reinstated by Bush, and repealed again by Obama) is back in full force, impacting not only family planning services, but any kind of health organization that discusses the possibility of abortion with women in their care.
Many of the organizations that will be targeted by this gag order are some of the most effective health service providers in the world, especially in low and middle income countries, and especially when it comes to providing reproductive health care to women (that means things like HIV treatment and prevention, services for new mothers, and safe, reliable contraception — not just abortions). Trump, and the House Republicans who stand behind him (and the millions of women who voted for him, apparently) would rather women lose access to potentially life-saving treatment than even hear the word “abortion” from their doctor. This gag order is not just a casual pro-life move, it’s an indicator of just how little this administration gives a shit about women.
A government that is down to let women fucking die from HIV abroad sure as hell isn’t going to protect their reproductive rights at home. Roe v. Wade doesn’t stand a chance. There’s maybe even less hope for Planned Parenthood (yet another organization that provides lots of valuable services to women, including, but not limited to, abortion). A bill has already gone through the House (but still has to be passed in the Senate) to remove any federal funding for abortion services in the US — making getting a safe, legal abortion even more expensive and even less accessible than it is right now.
Is any of this a surprise from an administration headed by the world’s least favourite pussy-grabber? Probably not. Which means that every single woman (and every man too, for that matter) who made their way to a polling station in order to cast a ballot for a man who bragged about sexual assault owes an apology to every woman who, in the next four years, will have her body legislated by white men, her options stripped from her, and her autonomy taken away by a government that simply doesn’t see her life as being that valuable.
