Politics and Religion Continue to Undermine Reproductive Rights

Reproductive rights have made important progress over the past 30 years, thanks to strong activism by feminists and reproductive rights advocates around the world. These efforts have helped expand access to sexual and reproductive health services and strengthened human rights protections for women and girls.

However, these gains are now under serious threat. According to Paola Salwan Daher, Senior Director of Collective Action at Women Deliver, many countries are seeing a worrying rollback of reproductive rights. Access to abortion and emergency contraception is increasingly being challenged, especially under political and religious pressure.

Paola notes that some countries, including the United States, are experiencing a clear regression in reproductive rights. These changes do not stay within one country’s borders. Instead, they influence and encourage similar actions elsewhere, creating a global ripple effect that threatens progress made over decades.

Women Deliver warns that attacks on reproductive rights are rarely isolated. They are often used as a starting point to weaken other fundamental human rights, such as the right to health, privacy, equality, and freedom from discrimination and inhuman treatment. There is also a growing narrative that treats women’s, girls’, and gender non-conforming people’s bodies as something to be controlled, rather than respected as autonomous.

Examples of this trend can be seen in parts of Europe. In Slovakia, repeated efforts have been made in parliament to restrict or ban abortion. In Hungary, new policies have created additional barriers to accessing abortion, contraception, and family  planning services. These actions are often supported by well organized and well funded anti-rights movements that operate across borders.

In response, Women Deliver is calling for stronger feminist solidarity and progressive coalitions at global and regional levels. Through the Feminist Playbook consultations, Women Deliver and its partners are working to build shared strategies that promote accountability and protect hard won rights.

The Feminist Playbook, to be launched at the Women Deliver 2026 Conference in Melbourne, will serve as a practical tool and shared roadmap for gender equality. It aims to unite movements, governments, and institutions around clear principles and actions for collective change.

Reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, climate justice, and democratic rights will be key topics at Women Deliver 2026, as movements come together to build power, accountability, and lasting progress.

By:Florence Uwamaliya