The UK should be taking the lead on international aid – not abandoning women and girls around the world

Millions of women, girls and marginalised people around the world are bearing the brunt of conflicts and crises around the world – and cuts to sexual and reproductive health will hit them hardest, stripping away vital support where it’s needed most.

Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are already the leading cause of death for girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide. Every day, around 800 women die from preventable pregnancy-related causes. In countries facing conflict – like Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine – women and girls are often paying the highest price. They are facing widespread sexual violence, giving birth in bomb shelters, and being forced to endure labour without pain relief.

These aren’t rare tragedies: they’re becoming the norm. When healthcare systems collapse, sexual and reproductive health is one of the first casualties. That means no maternal care. No contraception. No period products. And no education for young girls and teenagers about their bodies and health.

In addition, we’re seeing a growing movement around the world to roll back the rights of women and girls and prevent them from having freedom and choice over their own bodies. Abortion care has been restricted in countries like the US and Poland, and across Europe vital aid funding has been cut. These are not isolated setbacks. They are part of a growing and deliberate assault on basic rights – denying women and girls the essential services they need to live safe, healthy and autonomous lives.

Prime minister Keir Starmer’s recent announcement of an increase in defence spending must not come at the cost of women and girls’ rights. The UK once led the way in championing gender equality and fighting for sexual and reproductive health and rights, but now that reputation is in danger of disappearing.

We’ve seen the consequences of cutting aid before. After the 2021 budget reductions, women and girls were left to face the worst of the repercussions: millions more unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, as well as 8,000 preventable maternal deaths globally. These latest cuts risk history repeating itself.

Now, new data released this week by The Guttmacher Institute, Plan International UK and MSI Reproductive Choices lays bare what’s at stake if sexual and reproductive health is cut further. Their analysis predicts more than two million additional unintended pregnancies, almost one million more unsafe abortions and nearly 3,000 more maternal deaths. The message is stark and unavoidable: eliminating access to safe pregnancies, maternal healthcare, and vital reproductive health services comes with a devastating human cost.

Sexual and reproductive health is not a luxury. It is lifesaving. It supports girls to stay in school, enables women to plan their families and careers, and fuels their rise as leaders in their communities. Sexual and reproductive health is fundamental to achieving gender equality.

For women and girls facing the greatest challenges, those living in conflict zones, with disabilities, displaced, those with diverse genders and sexualities, or survivors of sexual violence, UK-funded services may be the only lifeline they have. Cutting that support is not only a betrayal, but the difference between life and death for so many.

We also know that investing in sexual and reproductive health and rights is a strategic and cost-effective choice for our aid budget, that helps build economically stable and resilient societies: for every $1 spent on it, there is a return of $120.

At a moment when women’s and girls’ rights are under intentional and coordinated attack, the UK must do more – not less. We must invest in the services that give girls and women choices over their own bodies, lives and futures. We must stand firm in our commitments to forge genuine partnerships with governments and local organisations. Through UK aid, we have the power to show the world that freedom, equality and rights are non-negotiable.

Any further cuts to UK sexual and reproductive health support will not only tarnish the UK’s position on the global stage but also irreparably damage its reputation as a defender of human rights. The world is watching and now is the moment to lead. Let’s not abandon women and girls.

Sarah Champion is the Labour MP for Rotherham

This piece has been produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid series