Reproductive rights under siege as organised political backlash spreads worldwide

Hard-won sexual and reproductive rights are facing fresh political threats, according to global advocacy group Women Deliver.

In a media release issued on 2 February 2025, the organisation warned that progress achieved over the past three decades through sustained feminist mobilisation is increasingly being challenged. Access to abortion and emergency contraception is coming under renewed pressure in several countries.

Paola Salwan Daher, Women Deliver’s Senior Director of Collective Action, said some nations are experiencing “significant retrogression under religious influence”, including the United States, with the impact extending beyond national borders.

Women Deliver pointed to developments in parts of Europe as well. In Slovakia, repeated parliamentary attempts to restrict or ban abortion have intensified, alongside constitutional amendments weakening reproductive rights protections. In Hungary, additional barriers to abortion, contraception and family-planning services have been introduced. The organisation also highlighted the growing coordination of anti-rights movements across borders, supported by well-resourced international networks.

Advocates argue that attacks on reproductive rights often signal broader challenges to democratic principles, including the rights to health, privacy, equality and freedom from discrimination.

These concerns are shaping consultations ahead of the Women Deliver 2026 Conference (WD2026), scheduled to take place in Narrm (Melbourne) in April 2026. The event will launch the Feminist Playbook — described as a practical roadmap aimed at strengthening accountability, solidarity and collective action across regions.

Women Deliver says renewed collaboration is essential to safeguard reproductive freedom and reinforce commitments to gender equality worldwide.