In June the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade decision ending 50 years of constitutional protection for abortion in the country and unleashing widespread chaos and uncertainty as bans and restrictions go into effect in many states. The denial by the U.S. of an established and fundamental right sent reverberations far beyond its borders, emboldening other radical conservative actors including anti-abortion, anti-women and anti-gender movements around the world. Access to essential and life-saving abortion care remains heavily restricted in many countries, and progress towards realizing reproductive rights and freedom for women and all people is by no means assured.

This panel will discuss what the SRHR/Family Planning community can and should do to protect and advance reproductive rights in a world of growing extremism. It will touch upon the role of funders, service providers, advocates and activists, as well as stakeholders working on commodity security and innovation for abortion access, including self-managed abortion care. It will draw on expertise from different regions and settings, including crisis response, and will conclude with a call to action to conference participants to stand up for abortion rights and the SRHR agenda – in the U.S. and globally.