Toni Ann Brodber and our bestie Gwendolyn Beetham have a totally fascinating post up over at Girl with Pen about how the candidates fare on international issues, inspired by The Economists' Policy for Women's Issues recent scorecard on national issues. An excerpt:
The Global Gag Rule (also known as the Mexico City Policy) was a Reagan-era policy that made it possible to deny U.S. funding to organizations that that "provide abortion services or counsel, refer, or lobby on abortion". One of George W. Bush's first official acts in office was to reinstate this policy, which had been repealed during the Clinton Administration. This rule led to the scaling back of reproductive health programs in approximately 56 countries around the world, which, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights, "imperils women's health and lives both in countries where abortion is legal, as well as where it is illegal." Reports on the impact of the Gag Rule on women's lives point to a shortage of contraceptives, clinic closings, loss of funds for HIV/AIDS education, and a rise in unsafe abortions in countries where the rule has been implemented.According to a survey conducted by RH Reality Check in December 2007, Obama plans to overturn the Global Gag Rule and reinstate funding for UNFPA. McCain supports the Global Gag Rule and voted against repealing it in 2005. He has not addressed UNFPA directly, but, when asked in a town hall in Iowa whether he believed that contraceptives stopped the spread of HIV, McCain responded, "You've stumped me."
Also check out the Gallup poll on who folks around the world want to win in the good ol' U.S. of A.
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Thanks for the Gallup link! I really like the interactive map. I also like how McCain doesn't have the majority in any country.
Ooh! Been seeing the Gallup poll discussed in various media lately, but I haven't seen the map. Kinda disappointing (but unsurprising) that my home country, Singapore, is so politically apathetic as to not answer the questions with that overwhelming proportion - but so heartening to see Obama favoured in a predominantly conservative place too! :D Thanks for the link!