PAI Joins More Than 150 Organizations in Letter Condemning U.S. State Department Directive

Letter to Secretary Tillerson Condemning U.S. State Department Directive

PAI joins more than 150 human rights, health and development organizations in raising our deep concern about the State Department’s decision to strike from its annual Human Rights Report the full range of abuses and human rights violations experienced by women, girls, LGBTQI people, and other marginalized communities around the world.

Historically, the report has put the force of the U.S. government behind the full human rights agenda, and has established solidarity with individuals, organizations and movements everywhere who seek to protect and advance these rights. Publishing this report without all human rights represented jeopardizes this. It will become an incomplete and inaccurate document that is silent on many of the human rights abuses the United States has previously condemned.

“It is deeply concerning but not surprising that an administration that has already taken extreme measures to diminish access to contraception and reproductive health care for women and girls around the world is now turning a blind eye to these issues as central human rights concerns,” said Suzanne Ehlers, President and CEO of PAI.

“In addition to ignoring basic rights of women and other marginalized groups, this move is yet another failure of the Trump administration to acknowledge the harmful impact and influence of its policies, and to exert authority on issues of human dignity and wellbeing.”

PAI joins the following organizations in calling on U.S. Secretary of State Tillerson to uphold the credibility of the Human Rights Report by immediately intervening and reversing course on this decision.

Endorsing Organizations 

9to5, National Association of Working Women
Active Projectile Ltd
Advancing Girls’ Education in Africa
Advocates for Youth
Alliance for Peacebuilding
American Atheists
American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
American Psychological Association
Amnesty International USA
APEDDUB
Athlete Ally
Aube Nouvelle pour la Femme et le Développment
AVAC
Bangladesh Model Youth Parliament
Barnabas Charity Outreach
Better World Campaign
Beyond Beijing Committee
CADIRE CAMEROON ASSOCIATION
CARE USA
Catholics for Choice
Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)
Center for Reproductive Rights
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
CERPA (Centre d’Echanges et de Ressources pour la Promotion des Actions Communautaires)
ChildFund International
CHOICE for Youth & Sexuality
Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights
Council for Global Equality
EngenderHealth
Equality California
Equality Now
F’INE Pasifika Aotearoa
Family Equality Council
FORGE, Inc
Freedom House
Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Friends of UNFPA
Fundacion para Estudio e Investigacion de la Mujer – FEIM
Futures Without Violence
Gender Equality Initiative, Elliott School, GW
GESTOS- HIV, Communication and Gender
Girl Rising
GirlForward
Global Fund for Children
Global Fund for Women
Global Health Justice Partnership, Yale University
Global Justice Institute, Metropolitan Community Churches
Global Network of Black People working in HIV
Global Progressive Hub
Global Rights for Women
Global Women’s Institute
Global Women’s Institute at the George Washington University
GreeneWorks
Haus of Khameleon
Heartland Alliance International
HIAS
Housing Works, Inc.
Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Watch
Ibis Reproductive Health
Inclusive Security
International Action Network for Gender Equity & Law (IANGEL)
International AIDS Society
International Center for Research on Women
International Fellowship of Reconciliation
International Rescue Committee
International Women’s Development Agency
International Women’s Health Coalition
International Women’s Rights Action Watch
International Youth Foundation
International-Curricula Educators Association
IntraHealth International
Ipas
Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health
JAGO NARI (Fighting For Women Empowerment)
John Snow, Inc. (JSI)
Kazakhstan Feminist Initiative “Feminita”
Khalili Consulting
Landesa (Rural Development Institute)
Latinoamerican and Caribbean Afrodescendent Women Network
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Los Angeles LGBT Center
MADRE
Marie Stopes International
Mercy Corps
Milaan Foundation
NARAL Pro-Choice America
NASTAD
National Abortion Federation
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Council of Jewish Women
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
National Women’s Health Network
National Women’s Law Center
NFBPWC-NYC
NFBPWC-USA
OutRight Action International
OutServe-SLDN
PAI
PARI o DISPARE
PaRiter
Pathfinder International
Peace X Peace
People For the American Way
Plan International USA
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Population Connection Action Fund
Population Council
Population Institute
Pride at Work
Promundo-US
PSI
Rainbow Pride Foundation
Refugees International
Regional Centre for international development cooperation
ReSista
Saferworld
Save the Children
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS)
Shadhika
Sierra Club
Simavi
Smash Strategies
Support Group and Resource Center on Sexuality Studies
Tahirih Justice Center
The Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS
The Employee Rights Advocacy Institute for Law & Policy
The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF)
The HUBB bk
The Hunger Project
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
The Lesbian and Gay Association of Liberia (LEGAL)
The United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
The Voices and Faces Project
Tonga Leitis Association
Too Young To Wed
U.S. National Committee for UN Women
Union for Reform Judaism
United Methodist Church
United Nations Association-USA
Universal Access Project
University of Pennsylvania
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
V-Day and One Billion Rising
Vision Spring Initiatives
Vital Voices Global Partnership
What Works Association
Witness to Mass Incarceration
Women Action for Gender Equality (WAGE)
Women Employed
Women Enabled International
Women for Afghan Women
Women for Peace
Women for Women International
Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS)
Women Thrive Alliance
Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
Women’s Refugee Commission
Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, Moravian College
Woodhull Freedom Foundation
World Education
YWCA USA
Zonta International

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PAI champions policies that put women in charge of their reproductive health. We work with policymakers in Washington and our network of partners in developing countries to remove roadblocks between women and the services and supplies they need. For over 50 years, we’ve helped women succeed by upholding their basic rights. To learn more, visit pai.org.