Unscrupulous and hostile, these extremist groups threaten women seeking lifesaving healthcare, intimidate frontline providers, and harass MSI leaders with legal attacks. While their activities are not new, they have increased dramatically in the last several years.
Open Democracy estimates that U.S. right-wing Christian organizations, such as Family Watch International, have poured $280 million into rolling back policy and legislation protecting the rights of women and LGBTQI+ people outside the U.S.
We are enraged that access to critical healthcare for women and girls is further jeopardized by these group actions. No one anywhere should have to face abuse, intimidation, or harm when receiving care or providing essential, lifesaving services. And no one should have their access to healthcare disrupted because of the interference of ideologues imposing their own dangerous agenda.
Twenty-one of our country programs report anti-choice “mystery shoppers” who visit our clinics to intimidate, identify and expose healthcare workers, despite MSI operating within the legal national framework.
In DRC, one MSI healthcare worker was arrested when police discovered that she had provided an abortion. Despite the procedure being performed legally, the police detained her for 48 hours. Her case was eventually dropped, but her name had been made public and she experienced verbal abuse as a result.
CitizenGO, a global anti-choice group, has filed petition after bogus petition, trying to manipulate the legal system to force MSI to shut its doors, which would deny critical healthcare to millions of people across Kenya.
Harassment and intimidation of our providers and clients has intensified with 26 of our 36 country programs recently reporting increased opposition. Providers regularly face threats to their personal safety, and some members of our teams have received death threats just for their day-to-day work serving clients.
Online attacks frequently shut down MSI Facebook or WhatsApp accounts, depriving our clients of a vital lifeline and the ability to seek the help of medical professionals.
In Zambia, where MSI hopes to address current legislation mandating three doctors’ signatures before a woman is allowed to receive abortion care, local anti-choice groups are becoming more vocal and better coordinated and financed.
Abortion guidelines are up for review in Ethiopia this year, after the law was liberalized in 2005, and we fear potential rollback.
Cover urgently needed legal fees to protect MSI’s programs where targeted by anti-choice groups infiltrating national governments and civil society.
Offer basic financial support and legal assistance for MSI providers who face harassment, imprisonment or other threats simply for providing legal healthcare services.
Combat the spread of anti-choice propaganda as well as strengthening MSI’s relationships in communities and advocacy with governments to prevent further rollback of rights.