Members of the international development community are on the edge of their seats as they await the results of this year’s U.S. presidential election, which is expected to be a rematch between current President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump.
Sexual and reproductive health rights advocates fear that an even more expanded version of the global gag rule — which bans U.S. health funding to foreign NGOs if they use their own non-US funds for abortion-related activities — could be put in place if Trump is victorious.
In addition to the loss of funding and services, advocates fear the long-term repercussions of the rule at a time when sexual and reproductive health rights are experiencing greater pushback globally.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
