The impact of a Trump presidency on MSI programs
Donald Trump is the next president of the United States, and we anticipate immediate impacts on MSI country programs around the world.
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The return of the Global Gag Rule
When inaugurated in January, Trump will reinstate the Global Gag Rule which prohibits organizations like MSI from receiving funding from the US government if they provide, advocate for, or refer to abortion services.
To receive USAID funding, organizations must sign the gag rule to say they won’t participate in any abortion-related activities. MSI will not sign it. We never have and never will. Our teams are resolute in continuing to provide abortion care unapologetically, wherever they can.
MSI to lose $14 million in funding
This means the US will cut off $14 million funding committed to MSI from 2025-2028, which will jeopardize frontline services across several of our programs. As a result, we estimate 2.6 million people will lose access to MSI-supported sexual and reproductive health services in countries including Uganda, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe.
The women and girls in these affected countries need motivated donors to step in to support their futures.
Immediate support is needed
Five of MSI’s country programs will be forced to shut services unless we can work together with donors to meet this challenge head on and ensure the continuation of reproductive healthcare. Women and girls in the poorest, most remote and marginalized communities will pay the harshest price, losing access to the services and choices they have come to rely on. Especially at risk is our program in Zimbabwe which relies heavily on USAID funding.
The true scale of devastating impacts is yet unknown
The funding cuts to MSI’s programs are what we know now and can act immediately to prevent. But we will continue to learn the realities of Trump’s policies and Project 2025 and their impact as they unfold. The Global Gag Rule is likely to be expanded to apply to US-based NGOs, causing unprecedented harm. And as we saw during the previous Trump administration, there will be a chilling effect on reproductive rights advocacy and collaboration, while the anti-rights movement will likely gain momentum, resources and powerful connections.
As we continue to assess the impacts globally, we stand in solidarity with partners and donors, as a united front, to hold the line on reproductive rights. We refuse to let another Trump presidency reverse hard-won progress. We will continue to protect choice.
