President William Jefferson Clinton
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20500
Dear President Clinton:
On behalf of NOW's more than 500,000 contributing members, I urge you not to compromise on international family planning funds as a condition of payment of U.S. dues to the United Nations.
Some 600,000 women worldwide die of pregnancy-related complications annually. Huge funding reductions are estimated to lead to an additional 4 million unplanned pregnancies, up to two million unplanned births, 134,000 infant deaths, 8,000 deaths among women in childbirth and pregnancy, and 1.6 million abortions.
Women's health around the world should not used as a bargaining tool for payment of UN dues. We urge you to resist any pressure to reverse your long standing commitment to reproductive rights.
For equality,
Patricia Ireland
President, National Organization for Women