Policy Papers
Five Problems with the WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty
The Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Accord, commonly known as the “WHO Pandemic Treaty,” not only extends greater power to the World Health Organization (WHO) to reallocate pandemic resources from member states and targets “misinformation” opposed to its own narrative, but also carries consequences for families and the unborn.
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Pro-Life Concerns about USAID’s Updated Maternal and Child Health Framework
In March 2023, USAID launched its updated policy to prevent maternal and child deaths in developing countries: Preventing Child and Maternal Deaths: A Framework for Action in a Changing World.
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USAID Global Water Strategy Prioritizes Gender Ideology
The goal of the U.S. Government Global Water Strategy 2022-2027 is ostensibly to provide self-sustaining, clean, and reliable water access to people in developing countries—a laudable goal for US foreign assistance. However, the strategy raises concerns by its inclusion of language relating to contentious gender ideology.
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Five Problems with USAID Updated Youth Policy
The greatest concern in the Youth in Development Policy, in which it exceeds the other related strategies, is its exhibition of resources affirming “safe abortion” procedures and USAID-sponsored comprehensive sexuality education (CSE).
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Why the “Safe from the Start” Initiative Fuels the Global Abortion Movement
The “Safe from the Start” (SftS) initiative was launched by the Obama administration in 2013 as part of a broader effort to promote the empowerment and protection of women and girls worldwide, with a specific focus on preventing and responding to gender-based violence in emergencies.
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Problems with the East African Community Sexual and Reproductive Health Bill
C-Fam offers a discussion of the more controversial aspects of the bill for the aid of legislators in East Africa and their staff in discussing the bill.
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Problems with Education Cannot Wait Policy and Programming
Education Cannot Wait programs promote access to contraception and abortion. In its 2018- 2021 Gender Strategy document, Education Cannot Wait asserted that “sexual and reproductive health interventions” [includes contraception and abortion] are indispensable for ensuring continued education and preventing pregnancy. Grant recipients were encouraged to link “sexual and reproductive health services to education and learning opportunities.”
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Talking Points on the HELMS Amendment
Democrat control of both houses of Congress sets up the real possibility that the Biden administration will either sign the repeal of the Helms Amendment or re-interpret Helms to allow U.S. funding for abortion overseas. C-Fam offers suggested talking points to defend the Helms Amendment from attacks from both the Democrat controlled 117th Congress and the Biden administration.
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Raising Awareness on Gestational Surrogacy Among Vulnerable Women in Developing Countries
Gestational surrogacy (GS) is a growing reproductive practice through which adults obtain offspring by contracting a third woman to undergo impregnation through artificial techniques and to give birth to a child who is not genetically related to her.
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Applying the Siljander Amendment to the UN System
The U.S. State Department announced reduction in U.S. contributions to human rights bodies connected to the Organization of American States on March 26, 2019, for violations of the Siljander Amendment, which forbids the use of American contributions to lobby for or against abortion.
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Five Problems with the WEEE Act
The economic empowerment of women around the world is one of USAID’s priorities. There is much to support in the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018, H.R. 5480 and S. 3247(WEEE Act) to expand women’s access to financial resources and markets. But there is also cause for concern.
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Is There an ‘Unmet Need’ for Family Planning
The assertion that there is a vast, global “unmet need” for contraception is promoted by family planning advocates and is commonplace in international-development circles. But the claim is not supported by the facts, and it rests on shaky assumptions.
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Seven Reasons Why the REACH Act Falls Short
The Reach Every Mother And Child Act (REACH Act) was first introduced in the 114th Congress as Senate bill 1911 and House bill 3706. It has been reintroduced in the 115th Congress as Senate bill 1730 and House bill 4022. Its stated goal is to consolidate USAID efforts to eliminate preventable maternal and child deaths in 25 target countries by prioritizing the most cost-effective methods that save the most lives.
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Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: General Concerns
The U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) addresses a desperate problem for many countries where having a disability can isolate a person and destroy any hope for gainful employment, interaction with others or basic living conditions for survival. Thankfully, the U.S. has strong ethics and laws based on a commitment to care for the vulnerable.
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Problems with the International Violence Against Women Act of 2014
Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) is deeply concerned about women and girls throughout the world who suffer because of the egregious crimes of physical and sexual violence. That…
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Banning Abortion Funding is Good Foreign Policy
In 1973, the U.S. passed the Helms Amendment barring U.S. foreign aid from funding abortions or motivating anyone to commit abortion. Some now argue to ignore or reinterpret Helms to fund abortions in certain cases. They misrepresent international humanitarian law to claim a right to abortion for rape in disaster/conflict situations even in countries where abortion is illegal.
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“SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH” IN THE UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (CRPD)
October 2013 1. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities includes the controversial term “sexual and reproductive health.” This is the first time the term occurs in binding…
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