At G7 Summit, U.S. Pushes Anti-Reproductive Rights Agenda

New York, NY — According to reporting by Devex, the U.S. delegation was responsible for the censorship of reproductive rights language from official declarations released by the G7 at the conclusion of a three-day development meeting focused on women and girls. The deliberations were chaired by Canadian Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, whose summary included stronger language than in the official declarations, saying that “many ministers” called for “access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and information, including family planning and prevention of sexually transmitted infections.”

Statement from Latanya Mapp Frett, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Global:

Again, the Trump-Pence administration brings the U.S. to the international stage, not as a leader, but as a barrier to peace, prosperity, and progress. The administration would have us believe that it is a champion of women’s rights even as it seeks to strip us of control over our own bodies. We don’t. Whether it’s the global gag rule signed during Trump’s first week in office or the domestic gag rule that now threatens the health and lives of women in the U.S., it’s clear that this isn’t about negligence to reproductive rights; this is about control — namely, Trump and Pence’s control over women’s bodies in the U.S. and around the world.

“The administration continues to send the absolutely worst political ideologues to international spaces, especially at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, where it was represented by an anti-reproductive health and anti-LGBTQ hate group as well as individuals both this year and last year. As leaders of seven highly industrialized democracies convene to discuss economic and security policies, we are appalled at the poor leadership on women’s rights that the U.S. has already shown. You can’t talk about the economy without talking about women who comprise nearly half the workforce. And you can’t talk about women without talking about reproductive health and their right to make decisions about their own bodies.

The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies consisting of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, Germany, Japan, and the United States. The forum provides the opportunity for G7 leaders, ministers, and policymakers to come together each year to build consensus and set trends around some of today’s most challenging global issues. This year, the leaders of the G7 will gather on June 8-9 at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, Canada.

Earlier this week, Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Planned Parenthood Federation of America launched Tracking Trump to keep track of the growing number of ways in which the Trump-Pence administration has been stripping away people’s reproductive health and rights in the U.S. and around the globe. The Tracking Trump website allows you to take in the full significance of the administration’s attacks on women’s health and rights through the timeline and the players, including the political ideologues who continue to impose this radical and dangerous agenda.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood affiliates serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.

For more than 45 years, Planned Parenthood Federation of America has supported access to sexual and reproductive health care and advocated for reproductive rights around the world through our international arm, Planned Parenthood Global. In partnership with more than 100 organizations across 12 focus countries in Africa and Latin America, we advance the health and rights of young people, women and families, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable and underserved. Last year, our partners reached over a million people with sexual and reproductive health information and services provided by our partners. Our unique sustainability model sets us apart, as we empower partners to stand on their own. We help grassroots organizations develop solid reproductive health programs, identify other sources of funding, build their communications and advocacy skills, and develop strategic plans.