MSI Reproductive Choices

On Monday, Trump will become the next US President. We expect one of his first actions will be reinstating the ‘global gag rule’ — an executive order that seeks to silence the pro-choice movement and roll-back women's health and rights globally. Trump's gag rule would require us to stop providing and campaigning for abortion. We will never sign it. We won’t be silenced and we won't back down. #ChooseChoiceNow

We will soon see the return of the 'global gag rule' and the defunding of any non-US organisation that recommends, advocates for, or performs abortion. At MSI, we are proud of our 50 years as a reproductive health service provider, and will never walk away from our responsibility to provide services to those with the greatest unmet need. Abortion will always be part of that, and so we'll say 'thanks but no thanks' to US government funding and continue our work regardless. MSI provided services to over 25 million women and girls in 2024, many living in extreme poverty, and at less than 3 dollar cents per day for a method of contraception, it's the best-value development buy. Especially at a time like this, I am immensely proud to lead this fantastic team and to work with our partners around the world! Nick Kristof United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) FP2030 SheDecides Ipas Population Services International EngenderHealth International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)

“Make no mistake, this policy aims to gag and unravel the pro-choice movement across the globe," says Beth Schlachter, MSI Senior Director of US External Relations. "But it will not succeed."   Read Beth's article in Devex below, to learn how we can protect access to abortion and reproductive healthcare in the face of the Global Gag Rule ⤵

"[The Global Gag Rule] will be hotly debated by men in suits in Washington, but it will play out in the lives of exhausted women in places like Madagascar," says Nick Kristof, journalist for The New York Times.   At the end of last year, Nick Kristof visited MSI Madagascar to understand the far-reaching impact of the Global Gag Rule and the importance of work by organisations like MSI and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). "The impact of any Trump cuts would go far, far beyond abortions, and would probably be devastating to millions of women and girls worldwide. Trump’s approach would reduce the availability of contraception and likely increase maternal mortality and cervical cancer." Read the full article here ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eQXx9PUS

“I’ve seen women struggling; I’ve seen them suffering and I feel for them," says Reverend Cliff Nyekanyeka, “I am pro-choice because I’ve seen what it means [not to be], and I think I have to contribute to the movement." Rev. Cliff and Simeon Thodi, advocacy manager at MSI Malawi, spoke to Sarah Johnson at The Guardian about how religious leaders are uniquely placed to drive change in Malawi - a country with one of the world's strictest abortion laws. Read the full article ⤵ https://lnkd.in/e_W_q4u9

In 2025, our teams around the world are going to be even more committed to delivering reproductive choice than ever before. Let's hear from Jennifer — a midwife with the Ghana Health Service who was trained by MSI to deliver comprehensive abortion care — on why she’s proud to #ChooseChoice ⤵️

Before we step into 2025, we want to say THANK YOU to our frontline teams and providers for all they've done this year. We are infinitely grateful for our courageous team members around the world who face down stigma to make sure everyone can access safe and compassionate care and support. We're proud to stand behind you.

It's been a rocky year in the world of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Amidst the biggest election year in history, the global anti-rights movement was determined to roll back hard-won progress. But we didn't back down – our teams and partners secured wins that expanded access to reproductive healthcare and safeguarded our rights. To end the year on a high note, here are five wins from 2024 ⬇️

Attacks on abortion rights in America reverberate around the world. Ever since the US Supreme Court overturned #RoeVsWade in 2022, we've seen that anti-rights groups have grown bolder — from anti-choice groups harassing women outside our clinics globally, to US-linked groups lobbying to block access to abortion in countries across Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. And with Trump being inaugurated in January, we expect his policies on reproductive rights to embolden anti-rights groups further. But this only strengthens our resolve. We've persevered through reversals of progress like this before, and we know that together we can mount a powerful resistance to defend abortion rights.

2024 was the biggest election year on record. At least 64 elections played out around the world — shaping the future of nearly half of all women of reproductive age. "Looking back at the year, I can say that it's been a rocky one for reproductive rights, in the courts and in the polls," says Sarah Shaw, MSI Advocacy Associate Director. "Our elections are indicative of our complicated world. It reminds me that we have to show up not just on election day but every day, building the world we want to live in with our words, our money, our actions."