This International Women’s Day finds us at a great crossroads for the rights, safety, and dignity of countless women and girls around the globe.
In the past three decades, investments made into UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, have helped us make significant strides in our work to create a world where every woman and girl can live a safe, satisfying life.
In a 20-year period, the global maternal death rate fell by 34%. In a 30-year period, unintended pregnancies fell by 19% – and in that same timeframe, the number of women using modern contraceptives doubled. Globally, HIV infections have fallen to just a third of what they were in 2010, and an historic 162 countries have passed laws against domestic violence.
All of these numbers reaffirm that, when we invest in global sexual and reproductive health, lives are saved. But more than that, it’s in everyone’s best interest to invest in sexual and reproductive health. Research shows that every $1 invested in women’s health and family planning returns $8 in economic benefits – leading to hundreds of billions in economic returns.
But despite all of the reasons to invest in UNFPA, we’ve just suffered a devastating blow: The U.S. government has terminated all funding agreements made to UNFPA, withdrawing $377 million in funding.
Previously, the U.S. was one of the largest funders of our humanitarian efforts. Now, many of these projects – as well as projects benefiting millions of women and girls around the world – are being terminated.
Here’s a closer look at some of the programs that will have to be terminated or significantly reduced.
1700+ female health workers laid off in Afghanistan
Three grants totaling over $100 million have been terminated in Afghanistan, which currently has the eighth highest maternal death rate in the world. The terminated grants were for lifesaving reproductive and maternal healthcare for women, girls and young people, and strengthening accountability in local communities to respond to incidents of violence.
In total, these devastating terminations mean that over 9 million women will not receive maternal healthcare and other services, and over 1,700 female health workers – midwives included – will be laid off. Hundreds of mobile health teams, family health houses, and counseling centers will be interrupted or shut down.
These cuts will impact midwives like Mariza and the communities she serves.
Marzia shares her story
“I was worried, but I couldn’t leave because people needed our services – pregnant women were worried about where to deliver as health facilities were closing,” Midwife Marzia shared with us. “If I had left, a mother or a baby could have died. I stayed because people, especially pregnant women, needed my support.”
So Marzia stayed and was able to save lives such as Sughra’s – a woman who was turned away from a regional hospital because they weren’t confident they would be open when it was time for her to give birth. Sughra traveled to her father’s village and was taken to the family health house where Marzia worked. She and her baby survived a long and difficult birth – thanks to the midwives who stayed.
But with essential funding terminated, there will be less midwives like Marzia to prevent tragedies for women and girls in Afghanistan.
Lifesaving care stalled in Gaza
One grant totaling $45 million for sexual and reproductive health services for displaced populations in Palestine was terminated. This termination will force our U.S.-funded operations in Gaza to stall as people struggle to recover from more than 500 days of violence and terror.
Programs at risk of being suspended or heavily impacted are our eight mobile obstetric units handling emergency births, 40 safe spaces for women and girls, supplies such as medicines to 80 health facilities, post-partum kits for 30,000 mothers and newborns, and menstrual supplies for over 280,000 women and girls.
These cuts will impact new mothers like Nadia.
Nadia shares her story
Nadia’s pregnancy was plagued by anxiety and fear. She was displaced multiple times.
“My pregnancy during the war was very difficult. I was really afraid for the baby. I was scared that something would happen to him from all the stress, and because we had to keep moving from place to place,” she shared with us.
The constant stress, exhaustion, and hunger caused Nadia to go into labor a month early. While in labor she walked an hour and a half to a UNFPA hospital where the skilled birth attendants safely delivered her baby boy. He was placed in an incubator – an extremely precarious situation given all of the power blackouts and electricity shortages the region was facing – but he was stabilized.
“I was desperate, and it was a lifesaver for me,” Nadia told us. “Now I can see my son, hold him, and be there for him. I hope I can leave Gaza when this is all over and get my son the healthcare he needs.”
But now, just as Gaza is beginning the long journey to rebuilding, essential funding that keep places like Nadia’s hospital supplied and running are being forced to close.
The march forward
The loss of U.S. funding for our lifesaving work will be nothing short of devastating to those we serve. Thousands of health clinics will close. Women in crisis zones will be forced to give birth without medicines, midwives or equipment. Rape survivors will be denied counselling and medical care. Shipments of lifesaving medical supplies to refugee camps will be disrupted.
But we must march forward. We are committed to being there for the women and girls who need us – no matter what. And you can help fund these lifesaving efforts.
If you make an emergency donation now, you can help us recoup some of the funds that have been ripped away by the current Administration. To make a donation and provide lifesaving care around the world, click here.