President Barack Obama has signed an executive order authorizing the use of federal funds for international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the procedure outside of the U.S.
Obama had promised to reverse the ban during his presidential campaign, as did former Democratic rival and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Under the watch of President George W. Bush, no American taxpayer funds were permitted to be used to fund foreign family planning groups that either informed, provided referrals or counseling about abortions to individuals. Federal funds were also banned from going to such groups that even talked about abortion in the case of an unplanned pregnancy.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan first banned the use of federal funds for family planning groups that perform or promote abortions outside the U.S.
Nine years later, President Bill Clinton reversed the ban, but President George W. Bush restored it in the early part of 2001.
Both Bush and Clinton traditionally made policy changes towards family planning groups on Jan. 22 on the anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision which legalized abortion in America.
Obama signed the order one day later, without coverage by the media, late Friday afternoon.
Over the years, the policy has gained various nicknames including the "global gag rule" and the "Mexico City policy"-- named for the city where Reagan first announced the ban.
For advocacy groups said the tearing down of the ban comes as a welcome move.
Tod Preston, spokesperson for Population Action International, said "women's health has been severely impacted by the cutoff of assistance."
"President Obama's actions will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and women dying from high-risk pregnancies because they don't have access to family planning," Preston said.
The U.S.-led Pathfinder International posted a letter to their website the day of the inauguration urging the newly-minted president to "repeal the global gag rule" and to increase funding for family planning and reproductive health programs.
According to Pathfinder International's website, some 70,000 women from around the world die each year as a result of abortion complications.
Anti-abortion groups condemned the move.
"President Obama not long ago told the American people that he would support policies to reduce abortions, but today he is effectively guaranteeing more abortions by funding groups that promote abortion as a method of population control," Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, told The Associated Press.
With files from The Associated Press
