How donors spend on sexual and reproductive health and rights

Sexual and reproductive health and rights, or SRHR, is a growing but sometimes controversial field in the world of development. In 2022, disbursements related to SRHR amounted to $14.2 billion — a slight increase from the previous year’s $12.7 billion — according to a report from the Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung, or DSW — an organization that focuses on the health needs of the young generation. It aims to create demand and access to youth-friendly health information and services. The organization creates an annual report that tracks the official development assistance, or ODA, spending of different donors in SRHR. The report also focuses on family planning, or FP, and reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health, or RMNCH, spending. DSW uses three different yet intertwined methodologies which can be read in detail from its website. All figures are in 2021 U.S. dollars constant prices. Why are SRHR contributions important? Proponents say that SRHR contributions lead to significantly improved health outcomes, especially when it comes to maternal health and sexually transmitted infections, or STIs. Aside from this, SRHR contributions are seen to promote gender equality through women’s and girls’ empowerment by providing autonomy toward their bodies. Through the introduction of family planning, women can find opportunities to pursue further education and participate in the workforce which can provide economic benefits. The report estimates that the $2 billion ODA dedicated to family planning in 2022 will result in: • 168.9 million women and couples receiving modern contraceptive care. • 58.8 million unintended pregnancies averted. • 16.3 million unplanned births averted. • 19.8 million unsafe abortions averted. • 53,421 women’s and girls’ lives saved. What are the key takeaways from the report? ODA for family planning grew by 4.6% in 2022, amounting to $1.9 billion compared to 2021’s 1.8 billion. Funding for RMNCH, however, decreased significantly from $18.1 billion to $14.7 billion — an 18.6% decrease. Although ODA disbursements to SRHR increased, it was not growing at the same rate as overall ODA in 2022. This is attributed to donors’ increased focus on humanitarian aid and in-country donor refugee costs, which we have highlighted in previous analyses. Donors only spent an average of 2.6% of their ODA on SRHR while the joint spending on SRHR is around 5.7% of global ODA. The United States is the largest contributor to SRHR, with 16.6% of its total ODA being channeled to SRHR, and ranks first overall for ODA disbursements for SRHR with $9.4 billion. This is primarily driven by the country’s focus on combating STIs. Family planning received $835.1 million while RMNCH saw a steep decline from $9.1 billion in 2021 to $6.7 billion in 2022. Other than the U.S., it was smaller economies in Europe who contributed comparatively more ODA to SRHR. The Netherlands contributed 5.4% of its total ODA to SRHR; Luxembourg, 4.5%; Iceland, 4.2%; and Sweden, 4.4%. But when it comes to total disbursements to SRHR, the list is completely different. The U.S. ranks first, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and then Japan — the top five ODA providers overall. The ‘champions’ in SRHR funding in depth The DSW report picked out some donors that prioritized SRHR funding more than others. The Netherlands The Netherlands ranks second in terms of SRHR as a percentage of ODA. In 2022, the Netherlands contributed a total of $368.9 million to SRHR, $98.5 million to family planning, and $443.3 million to RMNCH. The Netherlands has been consistent in its funding — a consistency that can be attributed at least in part to its policy of sticking to its core competencies, as outlined in its “Policy Document for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation: Do what we do best.” The Netherlands has pursued a feminist foreign policy that will focus on protecting women’s rights, resources, representation, and reality checks. Aside from this, the Netherlands also has a Global Health Strategy in place that adds to the prioritization of SRHR. Luxembourg Luxembourg placed fourth in SRHR as a percentage of ODA, with a total of $25.3 million dedicated to it in 2022. This figure is a decrease from 2021’s $28.9 million. Family planning received $5.5 million and RMNCH received $41.9 million. Funding for both family planning and RMNCH continue to see an increase over the past three years. Luxembourg’s General Development Cooperation Strategy: “The Road to 2023” lists health as a key priority, with maternal and child health, SRHR, and communicable diseases as the core focus. Iceland Iceland ranks seventh in SRHR as a percentage of ODA, contributing a total of $4 million in 2022. FP received $0.8 million and RMNCH received $7.5 million. Despite the relatively lower figures, Iceland is still considered a “champion” in SRHR funding as it dedicated 4.2% of its total ODA to SRHR — which is reflective of its commitment to SRHR as compared to the other donors in the report. In Iceland’s Policy for International Development Cooperation 2019-2023, women empowerment and gender equality are named as specific objectives and will continue to be so in 2024-2028. In the next four years, SRHR is expected to increase in priority for Iceland, alongside women’s empowerment and the eradication of gender-based violence, based on its existing strategy documents. Sweden Sweden ranked fifth for SRHR as a percentage of ODA. Sweden saw a sharp decrease in SRHR funding in 2022, with only $266.3 million as compared to $387.6 million in 2021. The decline also applies to RMNCH, with $329.9 million in 2022 compared to $406.6 million in 2021. Family planning decreased slightly as well, with $57.3 million in 2022 compared to 2021’s $64.9 million. The declines have so far not affected Sweden’s “champion” status because it remains one of the biggest contributors in terms of percentage of ODA to SRHR, and its development assistance has put SRHR and women’s empowerment at the forefront and has been consistent in doing so over the past few years. However, there might be significant changes in the next couple of years as Sweden decided to not call its foreign policy “feminist.” Try out Devex Pro Funding today with a free five-day trial, and explore funding opportunities from over 850 sources in addition to our analysis and news content.