Remember when that pesky President unoriginally reinstated the Mexico City rule, or Global Gag rule, back in February?
Yup, that ruling which prevents any of the $600 million that the US gives to international assistance for family planning and reproductive health programs (making it possible for 27 million women and couples to access contraceptive services and supplies FYI) from going towards any NGO that supplies abortions.
Thankfully there are people in the world who want women to be able to choose, and for their access to choice to not be thwarted by their location or income.
One of those people is Lilianne Ploumen, a politician for the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA).
Since 2012 she has been minister for foreign trade and development cooperation in the Netherlands.
Lilianne started an NGO named She Decides on 24th of January 2017, two days after Trump's jejune ruling.
She Decides says of itself,
Women and girls have a fundamental right to decide freely and for themselves whether, when and how many children they have. She Decides is a new global initiative on sexual health and family planning, that aims to support this fundamental right. It is a response to the U.S. President's reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy, banning financial support to foreign organisations that provide access to safe abortion or information about abortion, even if they do so with other than U.S. funding. She Decides is seeking financial and political support to ensure full access to sexual health and family planning worldwide.
This isn't Lilianne's first foray into feminism, she was director of the international women's fund, Mama Cash from 1996 to 2001.
The Netherlands has one of the lowest Abortion Rates in the world due to it's emphasis on family planning, ongoing sexual education and easily available modern contraception.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
