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In last month's presidential debate, not one moderator asked candidates about the unprecedented assault on global reproductive freedom, women's autonomy, or access to family planning. We deserve more. The people hurt by draconian reproductive health policies deserve more. Take, for example, the Helms Amendment, which effectively bans U.S. foreign assistance for abortion care. In practice, it denies hundreds of thousands around the world—including survivors of sexual assault—access to safe abortion. It's long past time for candidates to be asked their positions on these disgraceful policies. Debate moderators are writing their questions right now, so we've got a crucial window of opportunity to put global needs—including comprehensive reproductive health, family planning, and safe abortion—on the debate stage.
Next week's debate is taking place in Ohio, where community members are on the front lines of fighting for reproductive justice. Earlier this year, Ohio passed a ban on abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy—just one part of the attack on reproductive rights around the country and the world. This extreme ideology doesn't stop at our state or even national borders. Within days of the inauguration (the biggest, you know), Donald Trump imposed a wildly expansive Global Gag Rule cutting off aid to global health providers who even mention legal abortion. That was swiftly followed by one harmful policy after another. The truth is that Trump couldn't care less about women and girls in the developing world. The people who are hurt by Helms can't do anything to end the heinous policy—but we can lift up their voices and push for change by electing a leader who is unshakably committed to reproductive health and rights. Our next president, whoever that may be, will need to have a clear, proactive plan to reverse the current administration's destructive impact. They'll need to be a champion for health, empowerment, and rights for people everywhere. So let's find out where the candidates stand. Build the grassroots movement by tweeting at debate moderators now! They decide what gets asked on the stage, and they owe it to us to ask about Helms. With all of our voices together, we can be loud enough to get our question to the debate stage. All it takes is a simple tweet. I'll be watching next week, and I'll keep you updated on our progress. Onward, Brian Dixon 
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