De-siloizing the field: Merging domestic and international reproductive health advocacy

What is now known as the “international family planning movement” first emerged in the United States in the 1960s, borne of concern over a global demographic explosion. Unlike the more mature domestic birth control movement, this new movement sustained for many years the support of liberals and conservatives alike. Beginning in the 1980s, however, opponents – led by the Religious Right - began to chip away at both domestic and international family planning. For over two decades, this opposition has remained an influential political force, in part because of its members' deliberate strategy of using the same tactics and (often false) messages to fight against family planning at home and abroad. But while the opposition has rallied successfully around common strategies, supporters of reproductive health have failed to join forces, acting instead disparately, and often in competition. Even as opponents work together to denigrate condoms, attack contraception, and push abstinence-only at home and abroad, supporters work independently at the local, national and international levels, conducting research, developing messages, and implementing strategies focused uniquely on “their issues.”

Based on historiography, expert interviews, and the author's experience in the policy and donor arenas, this paper argues for breaking down the silos that have long divided the reproductive health field into “domestic” and “international.” Using case studies as examples, it presents ways in which advocates can work together to strengthen their case and maximize the opportunities provided by a new Congress and a globally-engaged citizenry to garner sustained political support for these important causes.