International Human Rights and Family Planning: A Modest Proposal

This article proposes that the US take a more positive role in advancing international human rights by reaffirming its historic commitment to international family planning efforts. The author suggests this can be achieved by rescinding the "Mexico City Policy" which terminated all U.S. aid to family planning services engaging in abortion related activities or speech; repealing the Helms Amendment which prohibits direct funding of abortion via non-governmental organizations; and explicitly applying internationally accepted human rights norms to the US population program. The author argues that a rights analysis is essential for three reasons: 1) it will help to avoid the rights violations that have marred family planning programs in the past; 2) it is demanded by grave global problems of reproductive choice; and 3) addressing the issue from a rights perspective may help to empower Third World women to address other aspects of their oppression. [Descriptors: Reproductive Rights - Abortion, International]