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Less than a week into Donald Trump’s second term, he reinstated the Global Gag Rule. With a single signature, this policy threatens the health and rights of millions of women and girls worldwide, denying them access to safe abortion care and forcing many into life-threatening situations.
Terms like the ‘Global Gag Rule’ and ‘Project 2025’ are frequently discussed, but what do they actually mean? Read more to find out.
The new Trump administration will negatively impact sexual and reproductive health and rights in the United States and worldwide.
One major concern is the reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule on 24 January 2025. This will intensify existing restrictions on the use of U.S. foreign assistance funds for abortion-related activities. The Global Gag Rule will prevent foreign non-governmental organisations receiving U.S. funding from providing information, services, or advocacy related to legal abortion. This restriction applies even when those services are funded by other resources. Instead of reducing the number of abortions, this will lead to more unsafe procedures, as many people would lose access to safe care. This puts millions of women and girls around the world at risk, resulting in increased rates of health complications and mortality.
There are also concerns about the U.S. announcement to withdraw from the WHO and plans to cut funding to UN agencies, such as the UNFPA. This will disrupt global health programmes, the development of guidelines, and evidence-based policies. Similar cuts under the previous Trump administration caused major disruptions to sexual and reproductive health services around the world.
The Global Gag Rule, officially known as the Mexico City Policy, is a U.S. policy that prohibits organisations outside the U.S. receiving U.S. funding from providing information, offering safe abortion services, or advocating for safe abortion.
The Global Gag Rule, first introduced in 1984, has since been enforced under Republican administrations and repealed during Democratic administrations. The Global Gag Rule that has now been reinstated might be expanded even further compared to the one that was in place during the previous Trump administration.
Project 2025 is a detailed roadmap developed by influential ultra-conservative U.S. groups outlining their policy agenda and serving as a blueprint for the second Trump presidency. The plan includes specific policy recommendations to implement an ultra-conservative agenda, including restrictions on access to sexual and reproductive health services, particularly abortion, both in the U.S. and worldwide. It pushes for many harmful policy changes at different levels of government. This could have lasting effects on health, rights and services. The expansion of the Global Gag Rule is a key component of Project 2025.
For organisations working in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights it is important to understand how these policies could impact funding and resources for their programmes. Stay informed and be ready to respond.
The U.S. is the largest contributor to global health funding. Restrictive policies like the Global Gag Rule and conservative agendas like Project 2025 can create a ripple effect around the world. These developments further limit the scope of sexual and reproductive health services available to millions, particularly in low-income countries that rely heavily on U.S.-funded programmes for maternal health, contraception, and HIV prevention and treatment.
The Geneva Consensus Declaration is a global anti-SRHR manifesto that was developed in 2020 under the first Trump administration and signed by almost 40 countries. It opposes LGBTQI+ rights and denies all access to safe abortion. It was never officially endorsed at the UN and is non-binding. The Biden-administration withdrew the US from the declaration during his presidency, however Trump has signed it once again on 24 January 2025.
Both the Global Gag Rule and other elements of Project 2025 aim to limit access to sexual and reproductive health services by setting strict rules on funding or eliminating it altogether. Because organisations may be (partly) dependent on U.S. funding, his could result in fewer services for contraception, maternal health, and safe abortion. The consequences would be more unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and increased health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups. Since Project 2025 proposes an expanded and more restrictive version of the Global Gag Rule, we can expect an even further reduction in access to essential health services than we’ve seen in the past.
Project 2025 also includes cutting U.S. contributions to multilateral organisations like the WHO and other parts of the UN, risking major gaps in health and rights support worldwide.
These measures could severely impact sexual and reproductive health and rights for women, girls, and LGBTQI+ people worldwide.
Here are some suggested readings into the Global Gag Rule and Project 2025:
Get the facts and share them
Understand the full impact of the Global Gag Rule—its scope, implications, and how it affects global health and rights. Share reliable resources and updates within your organisation and with trusted allies to build a unified response.
Reliable sources are:
Foster collaboration
Reach out to organisations outside the SRHR movement. LGBTQI+ groups, women’s rights advocates, and HIV organisations will also feel the effects of this pushback. Respect each other’s organisational constraints while seeking compassionate ways to collaborate and support one another. Together, we are stronger and more resilient.
Celebrate progress
Highlight and amplify the progress achieved in expanding access to safe abortion care in recent years. This reminds us that gains are possible, even in the face of setbacks.
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