Desperation and uncertainty after Trump’s foreign aid pause: “A terrifying situation for SRHR”
U.S. President Donald Trump is halting all U.S. foreign assistance and attacking sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The lives of millions are at stake. Together with like-minded actors, the Swedish government must lead the way by speaking out on and increasing funding for safe abortion, SRHR and human rights globally.
– We need to be brave, loud, and clear. We must not let fear of Donald Trump intimidate us. We must show that Sweden stands up for gender equality, LGBTQI rights, and abortion rights. We will not compromise these fundamental human rights, says Ingela Holmertz, Secretary-General of RFSU.
A situation worse than expected
During its first week in the White House, the Trump administration began dismantling U.S. foreign aid, a measure entirely in line with the ultraconservative playbook Project 2025, which RFSU has previously reported on. Trump's agenda threatens the lives and health of millions worldwide, especially women and girls.
On his first day in office, Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending all U.S. foreign assistance for three months. A so-called "stop work" memo was issued just days later, meaning that organisations working under existing US grants and contracts received instructions to cease their activity immediately. As a consequence, the distribution of HIV/AIDS medication to over 20.6 million people through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was abruptly halted. Every day that this order remains in effect, as many as 7,000 children under the age of 15 lose access to HIV/AIDS treatment, according to PEPFAR.
In the wake of the order, confusion is widespread among organizations and actors worldwide who rely on U.S. support.
– There is a high level of uncertainty as to what will happen next and how it will affect people. Yesterday, our international federation, IPPF, received a notification to cease all US-funded activity in Africa. We’re in a situation where the things that sounded absurd yesterday are being implemented today. The Trump administration is following through on ideas that no one took seriously a month ago. It's terrifying, says Ingela Holmertz.
President Trump’s actions so far
20 Jan: Pausing U.S. foreign assistance to assess alignment with “American values”. Trump's administration has halted all foreign assistance for three months to review whether projects and programs align with the president's ideology.
20 Jan: Stopping Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) programs. The executive order titled “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” terminates all federal programs, including those by USAID, related to "diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility" (DEIA). It also puts an end to “environmental justice” offices and positions.
20 Jan: Removing trans-rights and “gender ideology”. The executive order Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government directs all federal agencies, including USAID, to “protect men and women as biologically distinct sexes”. It directs agencies to remove all policies or communications that promote gender ideology and prohibits agencies from promoting gender transition. The order rescinds multiple orders by President Biden that aim at preventing and combating discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
20 Jan: Withdrawing from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The U.S. is the largest donor to WHO, providing approximately 17% of its revenue. The WHO loses U.S. funding as well as U.S. technical expertise
24 Jan: The stop work order. Organizations receiving U.S. foreign assistance have been ordered to halt their operations immediately. UN agencies, PEPFAR and RFSU's international federation IPPF are some of the organisations affected by the order.
24 Jan: Prohibiting all abortion-related work. Trump has reinstated the Mexico City Policy (the so-called "Global Gag Rule"), which prohibits U.S. foreign aid from going to organizations that provide information about or offer abortion services with their own funds, even in countries where abortion is legal. This policy also restricts access to contraception, maternal healthcare, HIV prevention, and youth clinics, leading to more unsafe abortions, unwanted pregnancies, and deaths.
24 Jan: Rejoining a global anti-abortion pact. The U.S. has joined the Geneva Consensus Declaration, which calls on states to promote women’s right to health — but without access to abortion. The majority of signatories are authoritarian and illiberal governments, including Uganda, Egypt, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, and Belarus.
3 Feb: Closing USAID headquarters. Over the weekend of 1-2 February, the USAIDs website went offline, its X account was removed, and Elon Musk, who leads the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said USAID is a “criminal organisation”. On the 3d February, USAID headquarters was closed down. The Trump administration is now expected to bring USAID under U.S. State Department control.
Ideologically motivated agenda with dire consequences
It remains unclear what the temporary halt of all U.S. foreign aid will mean—exceptions might still be made. However, experts believe that Trump may genuinely intend to dismantle all development aid that does not align with his agenda, redirecting funds to right-wing Christian organizations and others that adhere to his ideology.
– If this order is fully implemented, it means that thousands of women who are due to give birth this week will not have access to safe deliveries. People who walk miles to receive preventive HIV/AIDS medication will not get their treatment. It will become even harder for women around the world to access safe abortions, which means that many may resort to unsafe methods, thereby risking injury or death, says Ingela Holmertz, Secretary-General of RFSU.
Alongside our international partners, RFSU continues to fight for everyone's right to bodily autonomy and sexual freedom. Human rights defenders at the local and grassroots levels often assume the highest risks while at the same time accomplishing the most significant positive changes.
Intense efforts are underway within RFSU 's international federation, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), to counter the consequences of Trump's policies. But civil society cannot do this alone. The Swedish government, other European governments, and the EU must step up and assume leadership.
– The level of Swedish funding for gender equality, SRHR, and LGBTQI rights globally must be further increased. The Swedish government should take the lead and coordinate with other like-minded actors to fill the urgent funding gap created by U.S. policies," says Ingela Holmertz.
Sweden sent an important signal when the government recently announced a new global strategy for Health and SRHR, with a budget of 4.3 billion SEK over the next five years. This is a critical priority. However, much greater efforts from a range of actors will be needed to counter Trump's catastrophic foreign policy initiatives.
Recommendations for the Swedish Government
Take the lead and coordinate like-minded countries to speak out and uphold everyone’s right to sexual and reproductive health. Refuse to let U.S. policies jeopardize the health and lives of millions.
Increase Swedish ODA for gender equality, SRHR, and LGBTQI rights and coordinate with other actors to fill the funding gap created by U.S. policies. Use existing mechanisms to channel the financing effectively.
Involve, protect, and fund civil society organizations working for women's and girls’ rights, SRHR, and LGBTQI rights.
Invest more in research on SRHR and gender equality as a powerful tool for health and development. Information about SRHR, LGBTQI issues, and gender equality is being distorted in political debates and is heavily impacted by disinformation, fake news, and populist propaganda.