Trump’s next step toward eradicating abortion rights around the world
In the shadow of the Greenland crisis, the Trump administration is taking the next step in its attempts to eradicate abortion rights around the world. On January 23, the administration announced that it is further expanding its anti-abortion policy known as the “Global Gag Rule” — a disaster, according to RFSU, the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education.
The decision was announced by Vice President JD Vance in a live speech at the National March for Life on January 23. The policy severely restricts access to abortion in countries that receive US health aid. It will now apply to all US aid and will also affect work related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
“We already know that the Global Gag Rule reduces access to contraception, increases the number of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions, and weakens health systems in countries where US aid is a major source of funding. Now that president Trump is expanding the policy, we are convinced that we will see more teenage pregnancies and increased maternal mortality,” says Ingela Holmertz, Secretary General of RFSU.
A year ago, President Trump reinstated the Global Gag Rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy. The policy means that organisations receiving US health aid are not allowed to provide information about, or deliver, abortion care in any way — even when using funding from other donors. This applies even if abortion is legal in the country in question.
The Trump administration is now taking another step by further expanding the policy. The new version will apply to all non-military US aid. In addition, the policy will block aid funds to actors working with diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as what the administration refers to as “gender ideology”.
“This is a completely macabre development. If no aid is allowed to go to work with discriminated groups, where should it go? The decision may have consequences we cannot yet imagine. It is extremely important that Sweden and the Nordic countries now clearly stand up for sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as the rights of LGBTQI people,” says Ingela Holmertz, Secretary General of RFSU.
Facts about US aid and the Global Gag Rule
The Global Gag Rule, or Mexico City Policy, was introduced by US president Ronald Reagan in 1984. Since then, it has been repealed by all Democratic presidents and reinstated by all Republican presidents.
Until 2017, the policy meant that foreign non-governmental organisations receiving US aid for family planning were prohibited from providing information about, or advocating for, safe abortions using funding from other donors — such as the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) — even if abortion was legal in the country in question.
In 2017, Donald Trump extended the policy to all U.S. health aid (it had previously applied only to family planning), and it was renamed "Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance" (PLGHA). In addition to family planning, US health aid also covers areas such as vaccinations and efforts to combat child malnutrition. At that time, the policy still applied only to foreign civil society organisations.
When Trump returned to power in 2025, he reinstated the policy and closed the aid agency USAID. The United States remains a major official development assistance (ODA) donor through its State Department.
On January 23, 2026, the Global Gag Rule was expanded into a broader framework known as the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance (PHFFA). The policy now covers all non-military US aid. In addition, the policy prohibits aid to actors who in any way work with diversity, equity and inclusion and so-called “gender ideology”. It now applies to all types of actors, including multilaterals and governments, which were previously exempt from the policy.