Several countries have clubbed together to help Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) working overseas carry out abortions.
A joint fund has been set up in opposition to a recent change in US Government policy which stripped funding from global abortion groups such as Planned Parenthood International.
The Netherlands introduced the global abortion fund idea after the US policy change was announced. Several European nations, including Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Norway have pledged support, alongside Canada and Australia.
Violation
The ‘Mexico City Policy’, brought in by Executive Order in the first days of theTrump Presidency, prevents US taxpayer money from being used by NGOs that promote or provide abortions as a method of ‘family planning’.
Speaking earlier this month, Swedish deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lovin claimed that the Mexico City Policy could be “so dangerous for many women”.
However, the policy has been widely applauded by pro-life groups which say it will protect the “dignity of women and children overseas”.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of pro-life lobby group Susan B. Anthony List, said the move would “ensure Americans are no longer complicit in violating the dignity of women and children overseas. No longer will abortion be a top U.S. export”.
‘Irreparable harm’
Kristan Hawkins, of Students for Life of America, said she hopes “this is only the beginning of defunding Planned Parenthood and the end of forcing American taxpayers to fund an industry that ends hundreds of thousands of innocent lives a year and irreparably harms women”.
As well as preventing taxpayer money funding abortions, the Mexico City Policy will ban NGOs from advocating pro-abortion laws in overseas countries.
It is a radical departure from the policy of Obama’s administration, which has been funding abortions abroad for the past eight years.
In the past, money had also been given to the United Nations Population Fund, which is accused of being complicit in China’s forced abortion and sterilisation programme.