by Beth Fredrick, Executive Vice President

Originally published by the Global Health Magazine.

All eyes will be on Barack Obama as he makes his inaugural address and in the early days of his administration. With foreign policy and women's issues front and center during election season, women around the world will be listening carefully to hear what commitments the new president will propose. Since they know the impact of U.S. policy firsthand, they will also be paying close attention to the reaction from Congress.

The New York Times, October 11, 2005

Editorial

The list of Bush appointees who seem to be rising on political connections rather than expertise continues to grow. A recent example is President Bush's choice to head a key office at the State Department that coordinates the delivery of life-sustaining emergency aid to refugees of foreign wars, persecution and natural disasters. The nominee is Ellen Sauerbrey, the former Maryland state legislator and twice-defeated Republican candidate for governor who was state chairman of Mr. Bush's 2000 campaign.

>>Available in PDF 

Summary: By Adrienne Germain (Published in Restoring American Leadership: 13 Cooperative Steps to Advance Global Progress, a joint publication of the Open Society Institute and the Security and Peace Institute, April 2005). Outlines key opportunities for the Bush administration to play a leadership role in accelerating global cooperation on women's health and human rights, especially in slowing the advance of HIV/AIDS
(7 pages).

Click here to download Restoring American Leadership from the Open Society Institute's website.

The New York Times, March 5, 2005

Editorial

At a moment when the United States should be leading the world on advancing women's equality, the Bush administration chose instead to alienate government ministers and 6,000 other delegates at an important United Nations conference on that issue with a burst of anti-abortion zealotry this week.

Science, Vol 305, Issue 5680, 17, 2 July 2004

By Adrienne Germain

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision in May 2004 not to allow over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill, Plan B, is but one troubling example of the increasing impact of politics and ideology on science and health policy. The agency's ruling, contrary to recommendations from an external advisory panel and its own scientific staff, is indicative of the growing gap between common sense and U.S. policies affecting the well-being of women and girls worldwide.