{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140301153331/http://frankel.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/frankel-authors-letter-to-usaid-urging-support-for-reproductive-health", "Frankel Authors Letter to USAID Urging Support for Reproductive Health as a Core Human Right", "2013-12-10", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Lois Frankel", "F000462", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 In recognition of UN International Human Rights Day Tuesday, Congresswoman Lois Frankel and her colleagues have authored a letter to USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah urging support for reproductive and sexual health care as core human rights.\nThe letter reads in part: \u201cToday is Human Rights Day and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights\u2026As former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton famously proclaimed, \u2018women\u2019s rights are human rights.\u2019 We wholeheartedly agree, and are therefore eager to support your agency\u2019s efforts to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights.\u201d\nThe letter, authored by Frankel who serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee, also asks USAID to place particular focus on supporting adolescent girls, who face unique challenges in accessing reproductive and sexual health information and care.\nMore than 60 House Democrats have signed onto the letter, which has been endorsed by organizations including Planned Parenthood, Center for Reproductive Rights, International Center for Research on Women, American Jewish World Service, National Council of Jewish Women, and the International Women\u2019s Health Coalition.\nFull text of the letter follows and can be found here.\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nDecember 10, 2013\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe Honorable Rajiv Shah\nAdministrator\nUnited States Agency for International Development\n1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.\nWashington, D.C. 20523\n\u00a0\nDear Administrator Shah,\nToday is Human Rights Day and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.\u00a0 In recognition of this milestone, we write to reaffirm that reproductive and sexual health care are core human rights.\u00a0 As former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton famously proclaimed, \u201cwomen\u2019s rights are human rights.\u201d\u00a0 We wholeheartedly agree, and are therefore eager to support your agency\u2019s efforts to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights.\u00a0 Furthermore, as USAID considers a new strategy for programming in these areas, we encourage you to place particular focus on adolescent girls, who are the least equipped among all women to cope with the consequences of inadequate sexual and reproductive health care. \u00a0\nEmpowering women and girls to determine the number and timing of their pregnancies directly impacts their well-being and the health of their communities.\u00a0 Yet the family planning needs of more than 220 million women in developing countries are still unmet.\u00a0 Moreover, too many young women globally lack self-determination, creating unique obstacles to accessing sexual and reproductive health care.\u00a0 When they cannot access appropriate information and care, the consequences are devastating.\u00a0 The leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 in low- and middle-income countries is complications from pregnancy and childbirth.\u00a0 Infant mortality and malnutrition rates are also higher among children born to adolescent mothers.\u00a0 When adolescents do survive childbirth, these young mothers and their children face increased physical, social, and economic challenges.\nFor many years, USAID has played a critical role in advancing sexual and reproductive health rights, and we strongly support your recent increased focus on youth issues, such as child marriage.\u00a0 We thank you again for your leadership and urge you to remain steadfast in breaking down the significant barriers to comprehensive and rights-based health services faced by women and girls around the world.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140301153331/http://frankel.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/frankel-authors-letter-to-usaid-urging-support-for-reproductive-health"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0511749424040318, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}