The cover of the ABC Handbook For Native Girls. Image from The Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has received million of dollars in federal funds under the Trafficking Victim Protection Act but has routinely denied reproductive health care services to sex trafficking victims, according to a new lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. Independent journalist Mary Annette Pember has more on the issue:
In 2013 alone, the Catholic organization received over $73 million in federal funding and contracts. According to the ACLU, the Catholic organization routinely denies reproductive health services to its clients because of its religious beliefs that prohibit abortion or emergency contraception. The USCCB, a large Catholic charitable organization, does not provide direct services to clients; it subcontracts to other organizations such as Catholic Charities and secular groups. The USCCB, however, stipulates that employees of subcontractors or grantees cannot provide referrals for abortion or contraception to clients. “The court has ruled that the federal government cannot give federal funds to those who impose their religious beliefs on others by withholding critical healthcare,” said ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Brigitte Amiri in a press release. In the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suit, the ACLU is seeking documents specifically related to a $2-million federal grant awarded to the USCCB to serve trafficking survivors. The grant is for programs that provide a full range of health care, including reproductive services, for survivors.Get the Story:
Mary Annette Pember: ACLU Sues Catholic Charity For Denying Contraception to Sex Traffic Vics (Indian Country Today 3/23) Also Today:
Native American mothers ask: 'What do I tell my daughter when she is raped?' (The Guardian 3/17) Related Stories:
Mary Annette Pember: Abuse leads to trafficking of Native women (03/09)
Mary Annette Pember: Native women create handbook for girls (3/2)
Mary Annette Pember: Sex trafficking survivors see little support (2/24)
Mary Annette Pember: Native family battles the addiction spirit (2/17)
Join the Conversation