The U.S. just helped limit abortion access to rape survivors... who don't even live in this country

The Trump administration has been working to undermine reproductive rights since 2017, restricting funding for abortion clinics and appointing abortion opponents to the Supreme Court. Now, the administration has even convinced the U.N. to change the wording in a sexual violence resolution—because it felt the resolution contained references to abortion.

Reuters reports that the U.S. threatened to veto the resolution over a paragraph that urged U.N. entities to provide survivors of rape and sexual violence in conflict with “sexual and reproductive health” assistance. The reasoning? The Trump administration considered the passage to be code for abortion. In response to the U.S. veto threat, the U.N. Security Council removed the section from the resolution, which then successfully passed.

Jessica Neuwirth, who works at the “Sisterhood Is Global Institute,” also noted, “It is unthinkable and bizarre to see the U.S. lining up with Russia and China to block efforts to strengthen the U.N.’s ability to effectively address rape in conflict and to provide sexual violence survivors with sexual and reproductive health services,” per CNN.

CNN notes that the Trump administration has taken a hard-line stance against international health groups that perform abortions. In January 2017, the administration pledged to cut off funding to foreign aid and medical groups if they provide or promote abortions. These efforts were an expansion of an older policy that previous Republican administrations have implemented.

It’s frustrating—but not surprising—to see the current administration limit women’s rights on an international level. This is yet another reason to cast our votes in the 2020 election.