Belgium, the Netherlands join forces to counterbalance Trump's abortion crackdown

Protesters in Brussels demonstrate against a proposed abortion ban in Poland.
(Image credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

Belgium and the Netherlands have teamed up to lead in the creation of an international fund to give women in developing countries access to birth control, abortion, and sex education, The Associated Press reports. It is a move that aims to counterbalance President Donald Trump's executive action reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which restricts non-governmental organizations that receive U.S. federal funding from providing abortions abroad.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo criticized Trump's ban, saying "this decision of the White House has an immediate impact on the lives of millions of girls and women in developing nations."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.