The Dutch Government is planning to launch an international fund to finance access to birth control and abortion in developing countries, in order to fill the gap left after the Trump administration announced it would no longer fund any overseas aid organisations which discussed abortion.
“Banning abortions does not result in fewer abortions,” Dutch Trade and Development Minister Lilianne Ploumen said in a statement.
“It leads to more irresponsible practices in back rooms and more maternal deaths.”
The World Health Organisation estimates that 22 million women experience unsafe abortions every year, the vast majority of whom are in developing countries.