2024 is an important year in election history, with at least 64 national, presidential, or parliamentary elections taking place across the globe. These election outcomes will shape sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls for generations.
MSI’s analysis has found that there are an estimated 823 million women of reproductive age living in countries that will hold elections this year. This represents nearly half (43%) of all women of reproductive age globally — women whose rights will not only be impacted by the elections in their countries, but also by the US election. With its dominance over international funding and its Global Gag Rule, the United States wields significant influence in the reproductive healthcare available to women worldwide.
There are an estimated 823M women of reproductive age living in countries that have national, presidential, or parliamentary elections this year.
This represents 43% of all women of reproductive age globally.
MSI Reproductive Choices works across 36 countries and six continents to support reproductive choice, providing and advocating for abortion and contraception. This year, elections will take place in 14 of these countries. We interviewed advocacy experts in a handful of MSI’s country programs to hear about the impact the elections could have on choice.
Araceli Lopez Nava, Managing Director
for MSI’s Latin America Region
Esi Asare Prah, Advocacy & Donor
Relations Manager at MSI Ghana
Eugene Andriamasy, Partnerships &
Advocacy Manager at MSI Madagascar
President of MSI-US & Vice President of
Global Partnerships & Philanthropy
In a critical year for change, we need to raise awareness of the implications of this year’s elections on reproductive choice and encourage citizens to vote for candidates that will push forward sexual and reproductive health and rights domestically and internationally. We cannot go back. Women are counting on us.
Reproductive choice supports political participation. When women and girls have sexual and reproductive health and rights, it supports them to have autonomy, to engage in politics, and to lead in driving change. But to do so, we need the right laws and policies in place to grant everyone the autonomy to make decisions about their futures. After all, the attempted roll-back on our reproductive rights is not just an attack on our bodies, but on the human rights and democratic freedoms that we all take for granted.
With choice firmly on the ballot this year, those of us who believe in the right to choose – civil society, providers, governments, and donors – must step forward to not only hold the line, but push forward on sexual and reproductive health and rights.