Trump wants to cut $600 million for abortion aid in developing countries. Dutch minister Ploumen immediately springs into action.
George W. Bush reintroduced the previously existing rule. Obama abolished it again. The measure has serious consequences. Cutting back organizations that help with family planning will not reduce the number of abortions performed. It leads to irresponsible practices in backrooms and more maternal deaths. Marie Stopes International is one of the organizations that will lose money. The reduction will mean there will be 6.5 million unwanted pregnancies, 2.2 million potentially unsafe abortions and 21,700 young mothers unnecessarily killed in the next four years.
Minister Ploumen of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation reacted with disappointment. Many steps have been taken in recent years and this measure could undermine all of that. Minister Ploumen is therefore taking the initiative for an international fund to offer women in developing countries access to good information, contraceptives and abortion. Minister Ploumen:'We must compensate for this financial blow as much as possible, with a broadly supported fund to which governments, companies and social organizations can donate. So that women can remain in control of their own bodies.”
