{"id":336360,"date":"2026-05-17T22:56:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T17:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=336360"},"modified":"2026-05-17T22:56:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T17:26:25","slug":"carney-urged-to-take-motion-amid-trumps-abortion-gag-rule-for-developing-countries-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/17\/carney-urged-to-take-motion-amid-trumps-abortion-gag-rule-for-developing-countries-national\/","title":{"rendered":"Carney urged to take motion amid Trump\u2019s abortion \u2018gag rule\u2019 for developing countries – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Canadian aid groups are deliberating easy methods to reply to American policies that block U.S. aid for virtually any group in developing countries that gives abortion, science-based sexual health information or LGBTQ+ advocacy.<\/p>\n

The rollback of feminist aid has those groups calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to assemble a coalition of like-minded nations to defend sexual health programming.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndividuals are more more likely to die because they\u2019re not receiving this sort of assistance,\u201d said Erin Kiley, director of international programs at Oxfam Canada.<\/p>\n

Since 1985, Republican administrations have implemented what they call the Mexico City policy, which blocks American funding for groups that provide abortion counselling or referrals.<\/p>\n

Democrat administrations have repeatedly rescinded the policy, then see Republican administrations reinstate it. Some call it the \u201cglobal gag rule\u201d since it limits advocacy for decriminalizing or expanding abortion services.<\/p>\n

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Some studies have suggested the policy results in an increase in unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions in various countries.<\/p>\n

In 2010, the Conservative government of Stephen Harper took the same approach by boosting funding for maternal health while blocking those funds from getting used for abortion services.<\/p>\n

Aid groups found ways to circumnavigate those American and Canadian policies. They used funding from other nations to fund abortion services or dipped into their budgets to construct sexual health facilities adjoining to general clinics.<\/p>\n

But U.S. President Donald Trump drastically expanded the policy in February by barring more kinds of U.S. funding from going to any groups receiving funding from other sources for abortion services. His policy also withholds funds from groups advocating for LGBTQ+ issues or gender-affirming medical care.<\/p>\n

The changes got here after drastic cuts to American foreign aid and as Trump\u2019s government signed deals with socially conservative governments abroad to fund national health systems in partnership with religious groups against abortion and gay rights.<\/p>\n

Kiley said Oxfam\u2019s partners in places like southern Africa are facing some tough selections. Some still champion gender rights, she said, while other groups avoid those topics \u2014 including some which don\u2019t receive American aid but might sooner or later apply for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoalitions that work on this space (are) becoming a bit fragmented, because some are attempting to align with U.S. government policy and others are attempting to be outspoken,\u201d Kiley said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn Zimbabwe particularly, they referred to a chilling effect on rights and advocacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Kiley said her organization takes virtually no U.S. funding, giving Oxfam more ability to talk out than a few of its peers. Other charities declined to be interviewed for this text, citing the danger of American blowback.<\/p>\n

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The controversy throughout the sector got here up at an April conference of aid groups in Ottawa. The Canadian branches of well-known, globally federated charities told the conference their organizations had internal rifts over easy methods to respond.<\/p>\n

The conference heard that branches in Canada, Europe and developing countries had different views on whether it was ethical for organizations which don\u2019t work on maternal health or LGBTQ+ rights to take funds from Washington.<\/p>\n

Jessica Stern, appointed by former U.S. president Joe Biden as a special envoy on LGBTQ+ rights, told conference participants they need to take the cash when they can comply with the Trump policy.<\/p>\n

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\u201cU.S. taxpayers are contributing significant dollars and we must always ensure that a few of that cash goes to good work,\u201d she said on April 22.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m very afraid of a scenario \u2014 which could occur \u2014 where the U.S. government is actively funding (anti-gay) conversion therapy and is actively funding programs to get women to stick with their batterers, and every kind of other ugly, anti-rights initiatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erica Belanger, the interim Canada head of MSI Reproductive Decisions, said her organization has seen a 20 per cent increase in demand for sexual health services since Trump returned to the White House and slashed aid spending.<\/p>\n

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