Call for Action to correct the harmful implementation of the Helms Amendment

January 22, 2015

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Obama,

The undersigned organizations working to promote women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in many countries around the world write to urge you to use your executive authority to direct the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the State Department, and other relevant U.S. government agencies to correct the harmful implementation of the Helms Amendment.

Historically, the United States has played a pivotal role in improving the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls in the developing world, including as a leading funder of international family planning and other reproductive health programs. We also recognize and applaud additional steps that your Administration has taken to empower women and girls and protect their health and lives, domestically and in foreign assistance programs.

However, we are deeply discouraged by the inaction of your Administration on correct implementation of the Helms Amendment. The Helms Amendment prohibits the use of foreign assistance funds for “the performance of abortion as a method of family planning.” Abortions for women who are survivors of rape or incest, and for those who experience life-endangering pregnancies, are not abortions provided as family planning. For over 40 years, the Helms Amendment has been implemented so restrictively that it has impeded counseling and referrals

by U.S.-funded healthcare providers even in these limited cases, as well as the provision of safe abortion care for women in countries where abortion in these circumstances is their legal right.

The need for action is greater than ever, and the time to act is now. In many countries receiving U.S. assistance, women and girls face high rates of sexual violence, limited access to trained healthcare providers, and other barriers to accessing care. We ask that you take immediate steps to end the harmful implementation of the Helms Amendment in order to save the lives and health of tens of thousands of women in developing nations.

Sincerely,

List of endorsing organizations:

Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
Action for Fundamental Change and Development, Uganda
Action Health Incorporated, Nigeria
Adolescent Health and Information Projects, Nigeria
Adolescent Health Support Organization, Nigeria
Advocacy Movement Network, Sierra Leone
African Youth Initiative on Youth and Development
AIDOS – The Italian Association for Women in Development
AIDS Accountability International, South Africa
Al Centro de Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos (PROMSEX), Peru
Amnesty International USA
Asia Safe Abortion Partnership
Association for Prevention of Septic Abortion, Bangladesh
Association for Reproductive and Family Health, Nigeria
ASTRA Network – Central and Eastern European Women’s Network for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Awaz Foundation Centre for Development Services, Pakistan Balance, Promoción para el Desarrollo y Juventud A.C., Mexico Bangla Communications Ltd., Bangladesh
Bangladesh Association for Social Advancement
Beyond Beijing Committee, Nepal
Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco
Care For Life Mission, Nigeria
Catolicas por el Derecho a Decidir, Mexico
Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, Malawi
Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Research on Environment Health and Population, Nepal
Center for the Development of the People, Malawi
Centre for Health Works, Development and Research Initiative, Nigeria
Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education, Malawi
Choice 4 Life, Nigeria
Choice for Youth and Sexuality, Netherlands
Climate Wednesday, Nigeria
Coalition of African Lesbians
Coast Women in Development, Kenya
Colegio de Bioética A.C., Mexico
Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer, Mexico
Community and Family Aid Foundation, Ghana
Community Network for Reproductive Health Rights, Uganda
Concept Foundation
Consorcio Latinoamericano Contra el Aborto Inseguro
Dance4Life, Netherlands
Dandelion Kenya
Danish Family Planning Association
DKT International, Nigeria
Educación, Clínica e Investigación en Sexualidad, Paraguay
Education as a Vaccine, Nigeria
Elige Red de Jóvenes por los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos, A.C., Mexico
EngenderHealth
Family Care International
Federación Mexicana de Universitarias
Federación Planificación Familiar Estatal
Federation for Women and Family Planning, Poland
Fondo Maria, Mexico
Forum for Women, Law and Development, Nepal
Fundación Desafio y Frente Ecuatoriano, Ecuador
Fundación ESAR, Colombia
Fundación Oriéntame, Colombia
Fundar, Centro de Análisis e Investigación A.C., Mexico GESTOS-HIV, Communication and Gender, Brazil
Ginealmeria, Spain
Ginegranada, Spain
Girls Action Movement, Sierra Leone
Global Hope for Women and Children Foundation, Nigeria
Health Empowered Youth Focus Uganda
Health for All Coalition, Sierra Leone
Health, Economics and Society Department – Center for the Study of State and Society, Argentina
Ibis Reproductive Health
International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion
International Consortium for Medical Abortion
International Federation of Women Lawyers, Nigeria
International Youth Alliance for Family Planning Interrupción Legal del Embarazo en la Ciudad de México Investigación en Salud y Demografía, Mexico
Ipas
Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, Nigeria
Kalanyo Youth Development Program, Kenya
La Mesa por la Vida y la Salud de las Mujeres, Colombia
Las Hijas de la Negrita, Costa Rica
LUNA, Netherlands
Marie Stopes México
Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria
Millennium Development Goals Ambassadors Initiative, Sierra Leone
Modemmujer Red Feminista De Comunicación Electrónica, Mexico
Mujer y Salud en Uruguay
National Alliance of Women Human Right Defenders, Nepal
National Association of Women Journalists, Nigeria
National Youth Coalition, Sierra Leona
Network Movement for Democracy and Human Rights, Sierra Leone
Network of the Bar, Bench and Police on Women
Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Nigeria
Nigerian Medical Students Association
Nyale Institute for Sexual and Reproductive Health Governance, Malawi
Nzoia Youth Group, Kenya
Okoa Community Project, Kenya
Pathfinder International, Nigeria
Planned Parenthood Association of Sierra Leone
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Nigeria
Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria Population Matters
Profamilia, Dominican Republic
Project Alert on Violence Against Women, Nigeria
Promotion of Reproductive Sexual Health and HIV&AIDS Education, Sierra Leone
Purple Hearts Foundation, Nigeria
Reproductive Health Matters, United Kingdom
Reproductive Health Partners Advocacy Network, Sierra Leone Reproductive Health Services Training and Education Program, Bangladesh Restless Development, Sierra Leone
RTM International Shikka-O-Manab Sampad Unnayyan Kendra, Bangladesh
Rutgers WPF, Netherlands
Rutgers WPF, Pakistan
Safe Motherhood Network Federation, Nepal
Sensoa, Belgium
Simavi, Netherlands
Sociedad Dominicana De Obstetricia y Ginecologia, Inc., Dominican Republic
Society for Women Development and Empowerment of Nigeria
Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Nigeria
Sonke Gender Justice, South Africa
Stand To End Rape Initiative, Nigeria
Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU)
Tanzania Women Lawyers Association
TEAM Associates, Bangladesh
The Foundation for Leadership Initiatives, India & Thailand
The Youth Voices, Uganda Traffina Foundation, Nigeria
Uganda Harm Reduction Network
UNAM – National Autonomous University of México Voluntary
Association for Rural Development, Bangladesh
Women Arise for Change Initiative, Nigeria
Women for Women’s Human Rights, Turkey
Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights/Africa
Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights/Global
Women Help Women Foundation, Netherlands
Women in Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health (WISH) Associates, South Africa
Women Lawyers Association, Malawi
Women on Waves
Women on Web International Foundation, Netherlands
WomenAid Collective, Nigeria
Women’s Rehabilitation Center, Nepal
Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative, Nigeria
YouAct, European Youth Network on Sexual and Reproductive Rights
Youth Action Movement, Sierra Leone
Youth Net and Counselling, Malawi