A patient waiting in a doctor's office.
A patient waiting in a doctor's office. Credit: Canva Credit: Canva

On January 24, Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy (the “global gag rule,”) which restricts US global health funding from going to any non-government organization that provides abortion services, advocacy, or information.

This reinstatement will harm women and people who can become pregnant, limiting their access to important healthcare information and services. Its effects will be exacerbated by wide-sweeping cuts to US Agency for International Development (USAID) funding and staff. These moves come at a time when Canada’s own commitments to global sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), which have recently been strong, may be at risk.  

Global gag rule & USAID freeze will lead to loss of services, advocacy

The global gag rule was introduced by Ronald Reagan in 1984 and has since been revoked by every Democratic US President and reinstated by every Republican one. Under Trump’s first Presidency, he expanded the restriction from applying to family planning funding, to all global health funding. While the policy appears to prevent USAID dollars from funding abortion, it also prevents organizations from using other funding sources to support abortion-related work. Organizations must therefore either stop even providing information about abortion or lose the opportunity to receive any funding. As Action Canada argues, this not only makes abortion less available to those who need it, it “actively silences advocacy efforts for safe abortion, even in countries where abortion is legal”. 

While it is impossible to know what the full impact of the new global gag rule will be, past versions have significantly harmed reproductive and sexual health. Organizations agreed to the global gag rule so that they could continue operating, have reported seeing clients die after seeking unsafe abortion elsewhere – even in countries where abortion is legal. Alternatively, organizations who refused to stop abortion-related work have lost urgently needed funds. MSI Reproductive Choices reports that rejecting the global gag rule led to the loss of funds that otherwise would have prevented six million unintended pregnancies, 1.8 million unsafe abortions, and 20,000 maternal deaths. 

The massive cuts Trump has made to USAID will worsen the effects of reinstated global gag rule. According to Action Canada these cuts have already led clinics in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Malawi, and the Philippines to close. The United Nations Population Fund also reports that it lost $377 million of funding, which “will have devastating impacts on women and girls”. 

Canada’s recent leadership on SRHR   

These cuts come at a time when Canada’s foreign aid policies may also soon change. Canadian foreign aid funding is currently guided by the Feminist Foreign Assistance Policy (FIAP), introduced by Justin Trudeau’s Government in 2017. As the name suggests, it takes an explicitly feminist approach to foreign aid, recognizing that gender inequality is connected to all other aspects of poverty and outlining that 15 per cent of all bilateral international assistance would go to “implementing initiatives dedicated to advancing gender equality and improving women and girls’ quality of life”. 

FIAP explicitly supports SRHR, acknowledging that access to reproductive health services such as abortion and contraception are crucial to empowerment, as well as to achieving economic development. In 2019 the Canadian government further committed to leadership on global SRHR by including a commitment of $700 million a year as part of its 10-year commitment to global health and rights. 

FIAP has also faced challenges and critiques, with a 2023 audit showing that Canada had not yet reached the aforementioned 15 per cent goal. The policy has also taken a somewhat shallow approach to feminism, focusing on empowering individuals to overcome barriers, without necessarily interrogating or addressing the systems of power that produce these barriers. 

Yet, under FIAP, Canada significantly increased funding for SRHR, which rose from $41 million in 2015 to $170.4 million in 2021. In 2021-2022, Canadian funded projects provided safe abortions and post-abortion care to 47,185 women. At a time when other potential sources of funding for organizations providing abortion care and advocacy are being drastically cut, these contributions are incredibly important. 

Canada’s future leadership in question after Trudeau 

On March 8, 2025 (International Women’s Day), a government representative announced $193.45 funding for 20 projects “aimed at advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls.” Nevertheless, the future of FIAP and of Canada’s leadership on global SRHR remains uncertain and depends largely on the outcome of the next federal election. 

Pierre Poilievre has been open about his desire to cut international assistance, which he has positioned as “wasteful” and “corrupt.” In a February 3 speech, Poilievre outlined plans for an increased Canadian military presence in the Arctic by reducing foreign assistance, stating, “we’ve got enough problems at home. We’ve got our own backyard to protect”. Poilievre is therefore unlikely to maintain the funding needed to continue supporting global health and rights. Furthermore, while Poilievre has denied that his government would legislate against abortion in Canada, this does not mean he would not impose anti-choice restrictions in the sphere of foreign assistance. 

The Conservative Party of Canada’s Policy Declaration (2023) states that “abortion should be explicitly excluded from Canada’s maternal and child health program in countries where Canadian aid is delivered”. 

This exclusion was enacted by Canada’s last Conservative government, with former Prime Minister Stephen Harper indicating that funding provided through his government’s flagship foreign assistance policy, the Muskoka Initiative, could not be used to provide abortion services. This restriction was not as stringent as the U.S.’s global gag rule but was a critical limitation given that health complications from unsafe abortions are a significant cause of maternal death. A return to this policy would signal an end to Canada’s leadership on global SRHR and a potential loss of funding to organizations who are working hard to ensure access to abortion services and information in their communities. 

If Mark Carney, the newly elected Liberal leader, wins the next election, the future looks slightly more optimistic. Shortly after Roe v. Wade fell, Carney tweeted that he was “proud to live in a country where a woman’s right to choose is so strongly supported” and that “our commitment to protecting fundamental rights must be unwavering.” Further, in his leadership acceptance speech, Carney criticized Poilievre’s plans to “end international aid while democracy and human rights are in peril around the world.” Thus, while Carney’s own pledge to cut government spending suggests his government might decrease foreign assistance spending, it is likely that his government would continue to advocate and fund global SRHR initiatives. 

Conclusion 

At this political moment, when abortion, reproductive rights, and gender equality are increasingly at-risk, Canada’s commitments to SRHR are as important as ever. While FIAP has been far from perfect, now is not the time to move away from its strong stance on abortion as a fundamental human right, one that is crucial for the health and the freedom of all women and people who can become pregnant. To further defund SRHR interventions, and abortion specifically, would amplify the already devastating consequences of the global gag rule, while signalling an end to Canada’s leadership on this critical issue. 

Jacqueline Potvin

Jacqueline Potvin is a feminist researcher and writer, specializing in reproductive justice, health and global development. She holds a PhD in Women’s Studies and Feminist Research from Western University...