Peers vote to back clause pardoning women convicted over illegal abortions

House of Lords decision welcomed as ‘landmark moment’ after attempt to strike out amendment is defeated

Hannah Al-Othman
Thu 19 Mar 2026

Women who have been convicted, and in some cases jailed, over illegal abortions are set to be pardoned after a historic vote in the House of Lords.

Last June, the House of Commons voted to end the criminalisation of women who terminate their pregnancies outside of the legal framework, while keeping the existing framework in place. Doctors and others who act outside of the law could still face the threat of prosecution.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/19/peers-vote-to-back-clause-pardoning-women-convicted-over-abortions

19.03.2026

News

British Pregnancy Advisory Service

Heidi Stewart

House of Lords

Louise McCudden

MSI Reproductive Choices

Nikki Packer

pardoning womn for illegal abortion

UK – Vulnerable women in England still being arrested over suspected illegal abortions

Nottinghamshire and Met police made arrests in past year, despite MPs voting to decriminalise in England and Wales

Hannah Al-Othman, The Guardian
Sun 15 Mar 2026

Vulnerable women in England are still being arrested and facing police investigations over suspected illegal pregnancy terminations, despite parliament backing changes to the law to decriminalise abortion.

Responding to a freedom of information request, Nottinghamshire police and the Metropolitan police confirmed they had arrested women suspected of illegal terminations between June last year and this January.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/15/women-arrested-suspected-illegal-abortion-england-police

15.03.2026

News

arresting women for abortion

Harriet Wistrich

Jonathan Lord

Louise McCudden

MSI Reproductive Choices

National Police Chiefs’ Council

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Q&A: What next for humanitarians and the global gag rule?

“There’s an earthquake. There’s somebody who’s been raped. You need to help the people, not check their credentials on the global gag.”

2 February 2026
Irwin Loy

Chaos, confusion, and more ethical dilemmas: Humanitarians are still trying to understand the impacts of a sweeping expansion to the so-called “global gag rule” on US funding.

The Trump administration expanded the on-again, off-again anti-abortion care directive known as the Mexico City policy to include nearly all foreign assistance, including humanitarian funding sent through UN agencies and international and local aid groups. The rules – announced on 23 January and published last week – also slap vague bans on programmes related to diversity and equity, and gender identity.

Continued: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/interview/2026/02/02/qa-what-next-humanitarians-and-global-gag-rule

02.02.2026

Interviews/Podcasts

Beth Schlachter

diversity equity and inclusion

MSI Reproductive Choices

America’s culture wars are killing people overseas

When “pro-life” foreign aid hurts women and children the most.

by Sara Herschander
Jan 30, 2026

“The mark of barbarism is that we treat babies like inconveniences to be discarded,” Vice President JD Vance bellowed to a crowd of zoomer nuns, bagpipers, and white nationalists at the annual March for Life in Washington, DC, last Friday.

The vice president then proceeded to announce a threefold expansion of the Mexico City policy, a decades-old, controversial foreign policy that prohibits organizations from receiving foreign aid if they mention abortion as a family planning option. It was reinstated last year when President Donald Trump resumed office.

Continued: https://archive.is/vdb65

(https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/477125/foreign-aid-dei-gender-global-gag-mexico-city)

What record abortion numbers reveal about the cost of being a woman in Britain

The majority of people seeking abortions already have children

By Jennifer Savin
16 January 2026

New Department of Health data says the number of abortions taking place in England and Wales is at a record high, with 2023 figures showing 277,970 abortions took place. The year prior, 251,377 abortions were recorded and a decade earlier in 2013, the figure sat at 185,331.

Around half of the women (54%) who had an abortion in 2023 said they already have children and cited the cost of living crisis, along with astronomical childcare fees, as part of the reason as to why they did not want to expand their family.

Continued: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/health/a70018816/abortion-statistics-uk-2026/

16.01.2026

MSI Reproductive Choices

Pregnant Then Screwed

Bristol abortion clinic praised for outstanding service

Staff there are caring, safe and empathetic, a new report says
Angus McIntyre

08 Jan 2026

An abortion clinic in Bristol has been rated 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the highest rating available.

The CQC ranked the MSI Reproductive Services Treatment Centre in Stoke Gifford outstanding overall and in three of five individually-assessed fields: safety, effectiveness and care. The clinic, which services patients across the South West, was rated 'good' in the responsiveness and leadership categories.

Continued; https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-abortion-clinic-praised-outstanding-10741707

08.01.2026

News

British Pregnancy Advisory Service

Care Quality Commission

Debi Hammond

Emma May

MSI Reproductive Choices

‘Trojan horse moment’: anti-rights groups seize chance to fill void left by US aid cuts

Ultra-conservative Christian organisations look to reshape global health landscape as new aid agreements open door to demands restricting family planning services

Isabel Choat
Wed 17 Dec 2025

The sudden stop work order on USAID in January 2025 sent shock waves around the world. Many health clinics were immediately shut down, leaving millions without access to vital medicines and facilities, with potentially deadly consequences, especially for HIV patients, children, and women and adolescent girls.

To many, the subsequent axing of 83% of USAID programmes seemed like pure nihilism, engineered by ideologues who wanted to kill off the agency. But there was a long-term vision behind the destruction. The gutting of USAID has cleared a path for the next phase of a plan to reshape the global health landscape, say reproductive justice campaigners.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/17/trojan-horse-moment-anti-rights-groups-fill-void-us-aid-cuts

The worrying rise of US anti-abortion rhetoric is in full force – how deep is Reform UK’s involvement?

Money is pouring into anti-abortion campaigns in Britain, and it seems Nigel Farage’s party isn’t pushing back…

By Jennifer Savin
20 November 2025

There’s been a lot of talk recently suggesting that we need to keep a close eye on abortion rights here in the UK. With whisperings that what happened in America – the toppling of Roe v Wade, which left a 10-year-old denied an abortion – could happen here, especially if Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party makes it into power at the next election.

While nothing is guaranteed, it’s a scary thought – particularly as we made great strides with abortion care this year.

Continued: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a69468983/reform-uk-nigel-farage-abortion/

Ethiopia’s Fight Against Anti-Abortion Propaganda

How Ethiopians are resisting U.S.-backed disinformation on abortions.

By Maya Misikir, a reporter and editor based in Ethiopia.
November 13, 2025

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia—It’s the faces of the women and girls receiving treatment for botched abortions that still haunt nurse Hanna, 47 years into her nursing career.

“They had a look in their eyes. It was a plea to be saved from their misery,” she said in Amharic, during an interview last month.

Continued: https://archive.is/RQ7rE
(https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/13/ethiopia-abortion-fight-propaganda-america-trump-pro-life/)

UK – Meet the people helping homeless women access abortions: ‘It’s about giving them the choice’

There is vital work being carried out by abortion services to give vulnerable women, including those who are facing homelessness, access to choice

Isabella McRae
17 Oct 2025

Women experiencing homelessness in the UK face multiple barriers to accessing abortion services – which may cause delays in terminating a pregnancy or other complications.

There is vital work being carried out by abortion providers and other healthcare organisations, in partnership with homelessness charities, to ensure that these women have the right to choice and can access an abortion safely.

Continued: https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/homeless-women-abortions/

17.10.2025