Fòs Feminista | International Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice
TRANSPARENCY SCORE
The transparency grade represents the expectation that the federal government should make data about U.S. global health assistance available, accessible, and informative. To see the transparency grade, toggle below.

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TRANSPARENCY SCORE
The transparency grade represents the expectation that the federal government should make data about U.S. global health assistance available, accessible, and informative. To see the transparency grade, toggle below.

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Fòs Feminista | International Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice
D+

This is an average of the three domain scores below.

YEAR 2018

White House

The White House received a 69 (D+) with transparency and a 73 (C) without transparency in 2018. This is due to the fact that the grades for both Family Planning and Maternal and Child Health were low because insufficient funds were requested for both programs in the FY 2019 budget request. The White House’s grade increased in the HIV and AIDS domain because the President signed the reauthorization of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and requested sufficient funds for HIV and AIDS in the FY 2019 budget request. Budgetary information for the White House was difficult to find, which led to a low transparency score across domains.

Selecting a document will download the file
2018_President’s-Budget-Request.pdf

B+
A-

HIV & AIDS

 

The White House received an 87 (B+) with transparency and a 92 (A-) without transparency for HIV and AIDS because it signed into law two HIV and AIDS-related pieces of legislation in 2018. Neither policy hindered the ability of U.S. global health assistance to support comprehensive HIV and AIDS programs globally that are based in evidence and human rights principles. However, both policies had the potential to include gender transformative language, but did not. The White House budget within this domain received a high score because the budget request included adequate funding for PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Similar to other domains, the transparency score for the White House under HIV and AIDS was low due to difficulty accessing budgetary information and the inability to search White House policies by criteria that had been previously available.

The Fòs Feminista data index grades government agencies on policies and funding impacting family planning, maternal and child health, and HIV & AIDS foreign assistance.

Selecting a document will download the file
2018_Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (S. 2736)
The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act discussed U.S. efforts to improve relations with countries in Asia and promote democracy and human rights within the region. These efforts were responsive to need and based in human rights principles, particularly related to reducing poverty and violations of human rights that have occurred within the region. However, the law was not gender transformative or strongly evidence-based in HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment efforts. It mentions "reducing the HIV and AIDS infection rate” through the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI), but provided no programmatic guidance on how to accomplish this. The LMI was launched in 2009 and is a multinational partnership among Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the U.S. to create integrated sub-regional cooperation among the five Lower Mekong countries. The LMI could serve as a promising platform for HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment efforts, but this could only be implemented if additional policy and technical guidance are released. The law also briefly mentioned supporting women’s equality, but did not discuss the importance of addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in promoting democracy and human rights. Given the prevalence of GBV against ethnic and religious minorities in the region, this was a missed opportunity by the White House to address this issue. For these reasons, this law will likely only have minimal direct effect on the ability of U.S. global health assistance to support HIV and AIDS programs in the region.
2018_PEPFAR Extension Act of 2018 (H.R. 6651)
The PEPFAR Extension Act amended the PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight Act of 2013 by extending the authorization of PEPFAR through FY 2023. The legislation allows PEPFAR to continue its programming, which is largely evidence-based, responsive to need, and based in human rights norms. However, it also maintained previous authorization language that is not gender transformative and continued clauses that cause harm to key populations, such as the Anti-Prostitution Loyalty Oath and the refusal clause. With the reauthorization, Congress had the opportunity to revise these harmful aspects of the authorization of PEPFAR and chose not to do so. As a result, this legislation moderately promoted the ability of U.S. global health assistance to support HIV and AIDS programs that are evidence-informed, responsive to need, consistent with human rights principles, and gender transformative.
2017_Presidential Memorandum of January 23, 2017_The Mexico City Policy (Expanded Global Gag Rule)
President Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, often known as the Global Gag Rule, and renamed it the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) policy. When in place under previous administrations, the policy applied only to international family planning assistance, whereas Trump’s version of the policy "extend(s) the requirements... to global health assistance furnished by all departments or agencies." Research has documented the harms of this policy in previous administrations when the policy was in effect, and the expansion of this policy via this 2017 Presidential Memorandum demonstrated a disregard for evidence and international human rights norms. This policy spurred a chain of events that significantly reduced community and government engagement in HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs and prohibits beneficiaries from accessing key services in many countries that receive U.S. global health assistance. The expansion of the PLGHA policy was against evidence, need, and human rights principles and was not gender transformative; this policy was gender blind, as it did not discuss the role of gender norms on the promotion of SRHR through U.S. global health assistance programs.
2016_The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security
The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security described what the U.S. continues to do to empower women as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace in countries threatened and affected by war, violence, and insecurity. The Plan moderately promoted SRHR by calling for better access to "clinical care and reproductive health services such as family planning, HIV testing, counseling, and treatment…" though HIV testing, counseling, and care was not discussed in further detail. The Plan did not explain the impact of access to HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment services on conflict prevention and country stability nor did it acknowledge the relationship between gender-based violence (GBV) in conflict and the prevalence of HIV and AIDS among women and girls. In fact, there was little discussion on any structural, cultural, and safety barriers that prevented women in conflict-ridden areas from accessing the HIV and AIDS care they wanted and needed. However, the Plan did discuss the intersections of HIV and AIDS with other sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues, such as maternal mortality. Additionally, this plan is moderately gender transformative as it called for more gender equality and inclusivity in all initiatives, especially regarding “members of marginalized groups, including youth, ethnic, racial or religious minorities, persons with disabilities, displaced persons and indigenous peoples, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals, and people from all socioeconomic strata.” The Plan also discussed the distinct needs of ex-combatants and former violent extremists who are female, specifically stating that these women have a difficult time adhering to traditional gender norms upon their return from combat. However, it did not explicitly mention the disproportionate impact of HIV and AIDS on former combatant populations or other key populations such as female sex workers or people who inject drugs (PWID). This National Action Plan supported the U.S. government's ability to promote SRHR with regard to HIV and AIDS programs and funding.
2015_United States Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls
2015_U.S. Statement to UN Women Executive Board Recognizing Sexual Rights
2012_United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally
2012_Executive Order-Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally
2011_United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security
2009_Statement by the President on Global Health Initiative
D
D+

Maternal and Child Health (MCH)

 

The White House received a 63 (D) with transparency and a 68 (D+) without transparency for Maternal and Child Health in 2018 because the President’s FY 2019 budget did not allocate funds for UNICEF or for UNIFEM (now UN Women). The White House also did not issue any maternal and child health-related executive actions or sign any maternal and child health-related legislation in 2018. Similar to other domains, the transparency score for the White House under the Maternal and Child Health domain was low due to difficulty accessing funding information and the inability to search White House policies by criteria that had been previously available. The low transparency score in this domain, in combination with the lack of funds requested for UNICEF and UNIFEM in the President’s FY 2019 budget request, led to this low score.

The Fòs Feminista data index grades government agencies on policies and funding impacting family planning, maternal and child health, and HIV & AIDS foreign assistance.

Selecting a document will download the file
2017_Presidential Memorandum of January 23, 2017_The Mexico City Policy (Expanded Global Gag Rule)
President Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, often known as the Global Gag Rule, and renamed it the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) policy. When in place under previous administrations, the policy applied only to international family planning assistance, whereas Trump’s version of the policy "extend(s) the requirements... to global health assistance furnished by all departments or agencies." Research has documented the harms of this policy in previous administrations when the policy was in effect, and the expansion of this policy via this 2017 Presidential Memorandum demonstrated a disregard for evidence and international human rights norms. This policy spurred a chain of events that significantly reduced community and government engagement in HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs and prohibits beneficiaries from accessing key services in many countries that receive U.S. global health assistance. The expansion of the PLGHA policy was against evidence, need, and human rights principles and was not gender transformative; this policy was gender blind, as it did not discuss the role of gender norms on the promotion of SRHR through U.S. global health assistance programs.
2016_The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security
The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security described what the U.S. continues to do to empower women as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace in countries threatened and affected by war, violence, and insecurity. The Plan moderately promoted SRHR by calling for better access to "clinical care and reproductive health services such as family planning, HIV testing, counseling and treatment, and maternal health" and aimed to “reduce maternal mortality by 30 percent…through... prenatal care and services, obstetric care, voluntary family planning, HIV testing and counseling, nutritional support, and safe water, sanitation and hygiene interventions.” Despite the Plan's focus on conflict and security, it did not go in-depth about the impact of conflict on maternal and child health. This Plan is moderately gender transformative, as it called for more gender equality and inclusivity in all initiatives, especially regarding “members of marginalized groups, including youth, ethnic, racial or religious minorities, persons with disabilities, displaced persons and indigenous peoples, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals, and people from all socioeconomic strata.” It also discussed the distinct health needs of ex-combatants and former violent extremists who are female, specifically stating that these women have a difficult time adhering to traditional gender norms upon their return from combat. This National Action Plan supported the U.S. government's ability to promote SRHR with regard to maternal and child health programs and funding.
2015_U.S. Statement to UN Women Executive Board Recognizing Sexual Rights
2015_United States Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls
2012_United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally
2012_Executive Order-Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally
2009_Statement by the President on Global Health Initiative
F
F

Family Planning (FP)

 

The White House received a 54 (F) with transparency and a 59 (F) without transparency in Family Planning in 2018. In the FY 2019 budget request, the White House did not request any funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and zeroed out all family planning funds for USAID. These budgetary determinations significantly hindered the ability of U.S. global health assistance to support comprehensive family planning programs. The White House did not issue any executive orders or presidential memoranda related to family planning nor did it sign any family planning policies into law in 2018. The transparency score for the White House is low for family planning due to the difficulty accessing budgetary and policy information.

The Fòs Feminista data index grades government agencies on policies and funding impacting family planning, maternal and child health, and HIV & AIDS foreign assistance.

Selecting a document will download the file
2017_Presidential Memorandum of January 23, 2017_The Mexico City Policy (Expanded Global Gag Rule)
President Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, often known as the Global Gag Rule, and renamed it the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) policy. When in place under previous administrations, the policy applied only to international family planning assistance, whereas Trump’s version of the policy "extend(s) the requirements... to global health assistance furnished by all departments or agencies." Research has documented the harms of this policy in previous administrations when the policy was in effect, and the expansion of this policy via this 2017 Presidential Memorandum demonstrated a disregard for evidence and international human rights norms. This policy spurred a chain of events that significantly reduced community and government engagement in HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs and prohibits beneficiaries from accessing key services in many countries that receive U.S. global health assistance. The expansion of the PLGHA policy was against evidence, need, and human rights principles and was not gender transformative; this policy was gender blind, as it did not discuss the role of gender norms on the promotion of SRHR through U.S. global health assistance programs.
2016_The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security
The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security described what the U.S. continues to do to empower women as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace in countries threatened and affected by war, violence, and insecurity. The Plan moderately promoted SRHR by calling for better access to "clinical care and reproductive health services such as family planning…", although this is the extent to which it discussed family planning. It did not include safe abortion care or contraceptive use in its list of SRH services supported with U.S. funds under this commitment. However, it did discuss the structural, cultural, and safety barriers that prevent women in conflict-ridden areas from accessing the family planning care they want and need. The Plan is grounded in human rights and is responsive to need in that it acknowledged the impact of discrimination and poor accessibility on SRHR. Additionally, the Plan is moderately gender transformative as it called for increased gender equality and inclusivity in all initiatives, especially regarding “members of marginalized groups, including youth, ethnic, racial or religious minorities, persons with disabilities, displaced persons and indigenous peoples, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals, and people from all socioeconomic strata.” It also discussed the distinct needs of ex-combatants and former violent extremists who are female, and specifically stated that these women have a difficult time adhering to traditional gender norms upon their return from combat. This National Action Plan supported the U.S. government's ability to promote SRHR with regard to family planning programs and funding.
2015_United States Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls
2015_U.S. Statement to UN Women Executive Board Recognizing Sexual Rights
2012_United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally
2012_Executive Order-Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally
2009_Statement by the President on Global Health Initiative