Bush Administration Chooses Politics over Women's Lives. Again.

For the third year in a row, President Bush has cut off family planning funding to UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, denying millions of women around the world access to basic reproductive health services--including birrh control, sexuality education, prenatal and obstetric care, and lifesaving informationa and services to prevent HIV/AIDS.

According to UNFPA, the U.S. funds could prevent 2 million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 induced abortions, and 4700 maternal deaths, as well as 77,000 infant and child deaths annually. Tell President Bush to stop playing politics in our name!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: United Nations Population Fund

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

Once again, I am outraged by your decision to cut off funding for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

People everywhere have a right to education, information, and services to help them make responsible decisions about their own sexuality and childbearing. Today more than ever, access to these services is a matter of life and death. Every minute of every day a woman dies from pregnancy-related causes, and last year alone, almost 3 million people died of AIDS.

With a relatively small contribution, we have the power to prevent 2 million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 induced abortions, and 4700 maternal deaths, as well as 77,000 infant and child deaths annually. It is clear that your policies and actions are driven not by responsibility and compassion, but by politics and ideology.

The United States should be saving lives, not playing politics with women's health.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
July 16, 2004

Background Information

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the only multilateral agency specifically devoted to providing adults and adolescents with family planning and reproductive health care services and information. It also works to end violence against women, prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, and expand educational opportunities for people worldwide. Operating in 144 countries, UNFPA is the only source of funding for family planning and reproductive health information and services for many women and men living in the poorest and most remote regions of the world.

Since 2002, the Bush administration has denied funding for UNFPA, using legitimate concerns about the government of China's coercive abortion policies as an excuse to reduce access to basic reproductive health services throughout the world. However, UNFPA is far from complicit with these human rights abuses. In fact, the UNFPA program in China was developed with the express purpose of moving China away from coercion and toward delivery of voluntary services to its people.

Rather than actually doing something to move the Chinese government away from coercive policies and practices, the president is simply reducing access to family planning in the 143 other countries that UNFPA works - all for his own political gain.

For medical questions, or to schedule an appointment with the
nearest Planned Parenthood center, call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN.