The Fight for Reproductive Rights and Population Matters in the News

January Update

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JANUARY 2025

Dear John,

With 2025 still young, much of the news this year has been dominated by Donald Trump’s return to the White House. A wave of executive orders has already been signed, including some with potentially severe consequences for reproductive rights, both in the US and globally.

In response, we are updating our Gilead Watch campaign, tracking reproductive restrictions imposed by governments worldwide. This month, we’ve examined Hungary, Turkey and the US, taking a deep dive into Trump’s rhetoric, his promises and the devastating Global Gag Rule. You can find out more below.

Looking ahead, February will see the launch of our new organisational strategy, shaping Population Matters’ direction for the next five years. Keep an eye on your inbox for that.

Finally, like many organisations we have made the decision to stop posting on Twitter/X. Changes to the platform, alongside its owner’s close ties to the new US administration, have made it an increasingly difficult space for meaningful discussion. We remain active on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and will soon be taking to BlueSky to share our message.

Many thanks for your support - and here's to the year ahead!

- The PM team

POPULATION & ENVIRONMENT

Reflections on the UN Climate Change COP29 in Baku

Dorcas Wakio, Population Matters partner and Choice Ambassador, reflects on the UN Climate Change COP29 in Baku last year, where she advocated for gender equity, climate finance and marginalised voices. Her work highlights the importance of inclusion and collaboration in addressing the climate crisis.

2024 in Review: Population Matters in the Media

2024 was a busy year at Population Matters. We welcomed our new CEO, Amy Jankiewicz, and held the successful Nigerian Population Conversation, which helped drive significant media coverage. Here, we look back at some of the key articles and opinion pieces that featured Population Matters throughout the year.

Most Successful Match-funded Appeal Ever

We are delighted to announce that our end of year appeal, the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2024, was our most successful match-funded appeal ever – raising more than £27,000 for our pioneering work in Nigeria. Our marvellous appeal organiser Anthony gives his thanks and reflections here.

GILEAD WATCH

Viktor Orbán’s Hungary: The Erosion of Reproductive Rights

Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has become a global symbol of the pronatalist movement. These initiatives are designed to combat population decline but raise significant concerns about human rights and reproductive freedoms.

The Faces of US Pronatalism And the War on Rights

President Trump has taken office, and his initial executive orders closely align with Project 2025, an authoritarian agenda that threatens women’s reproductive rights. His close ties to Elon Musk and other pronatalist figures add to growing concerns.

What a Second Trump Term Means for Reproductive Rights

Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th US President ushered in renewed threats to reproductive rights. In this blog, our Campaigns and Media Officer, Madeleine Hewitt, interviews Olivia Nater from Population Connection to explore the challenges ahead and the fight for women’s rights.

Erdoğan’s Battle to Boost Turkey’s Birth Rate

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has long been urging Turkish families to have more children. In 2008, he declared that families should have “at least three children” to sustain the country’s demographics. Since then, he has repeatedly emphasised that large families are essential to Turkey’s strength.

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Quote of the month

"A good deal of this [fertility rates lowering globally] is because women have more access to contraception, are better educated than ever, and are pursuing careers that mean they are more likely to avoid or delay having children. Parents are investing more in each child that they do have. The patriarchal expectation that women should be little more than babymakers is thankfully crumbling."

- Angela Saini,Science journalist, broadcaster and author, writing in Wired

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