Gilead Watch: Protect womens’ rights from pronatal politicians

In November 2021, we released Welcome to Gilead, an original report that exposes how politicians across the world are justifying the restriction of women’s reproductive rights because of fears of population decline.

The report identifies a toxic mix of nationalism, economic anxiety, sexism, racism and contempt for human rights which can combine to drive measures such as abortion bans, restrictions on contraception access and political pressure on women to have more children. You can read the full report here and a summary of its findings and recommendations here.

Through Gilead Watch, we provide updates on relevant developments, including the ways in which governments are using overt or hidden coercive methods to advance their pronatal agendas. In the Influencers and Organisations section at the bottom of the page, we also report on how those policies are being promoted by other politicians and stakeholders.

Note: Population Matters’ sources are currently limited to English language platforms, and the information provided here is unlikely to be comprehensive.

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• March 2023: At an awards ceremony including the “Order of Mother” award for women with five or more children, President Lukashenko tells the auience that “motherhood is the highest purpose and meaning of life”. Koihniki Regional Executive Committee 7 March 2023
• February 2023: Belarus is ranked 39th out of 46 European countries for policies relating to contraception access and family planning counselling and information in the European Contraception Policy Atlas. European Parliamentary Forum 9 February 2023

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For full background, read the China chapter of Welcome to Gilead

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• August 2023: Officials in various regions attempt to incentivise earlier marriage and childbearing. In Zhejiang province, cash incentives are offered for couples marrying under the age of 25. In Xian, health authorities send texts to citizens, urging them to “get married and give birth at an appropriate age … carry on the Chinese heritage and share in the responsibility of national rejuvenation”. South China Morning Post, 29 August 2023.
• November 2022: China’s medicines regulatory authority bans the online sale of two commonly used abortion drugs, even with a doctor’s prescription. CAST Asia-Pacific 30 November 2022. More information on Chinese abortion policy at Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
• November 2022: New Women’s Rights and Protections Law states that “Women should respect and obey national laws, respect social morals, professional ethics and family values.” Fortune 2 November 2022
• September 2022: Amid longstanding issues of poor sexual and reproductive education, a provider of family planning in China is reportedly asked by a government official “Why are you still talking about contraception now that we are encouraging childbirth?” Worldcrunch 7 September 2022
• August 2022: Goverenment policy to reduce the number of abortions is linked with population concerns. Washington Post 17 August 2022
• April 2022: State media report calls from Communist Party officials to oppose “radical feminism” and to criminalise abortion in order to boost the birth rate  The Diplomat 23 April 2022
• February 2022: Campaign launched to deter women and teens from getting an abortion, South China Morning Post, 11 February 2022
• February 2022: China’s famiy planning authority says it will “intervene” in abortions by adolescents and unmarried women, stating it would also “strengthen the guidance of how young people view marriage and family, rebuild the culture of raising multiple children in a family … promote to build a new positive culture of marriage and parenting,” Sixth Tone, 10 February 2022
• December 2021: Reduced availability of vasectomies, Bloomberg, 16 December 2022
• December 2021: Chinese government website instructs Communist Party members there is “no excuse” for not getting married and having two or more children. Message deleted following backlash. The Guardian, 10 December 2021
• September 2021: Government announces plan to reduce abortions, New York Times, 27 September 2022
• April 2021: Feminist group promoting the choice to remain unmarried or be childfree censored online China Digital Times, 16 April 2021

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For full background, read the Hungary chapter of Welcome to Gilead

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• September 2023: Fifth Budapest Demographic Summit takes place, hosted by the Hungarian government. See “Influencers and organisations” section below.
• July 2023: Hungary to push for “family policies” during its forthcoming presidency of the EU Council. Euractiv, 4 July 2023.
• November 2022: Hungary’s government assumes the roles of secretariat for the Geneva Consensus Declaration, a network of 36 “pro-life” governments . The Hungarian ambassador to the US spoke of its commitment to “protect traditional family values”. He noted that the Hungarian constitution states that “foetal life shall be subject to protection from the moment of conception” and that Hungary allocates 6% of its GDP for pro-family support, including tax exemption benefits to women with four or more children.  ADF International 17 November 2022.
• September 2022: Hungarian government introduces policy of making women listen to “foetal vital signs” before having an abortion. A far-right politician describes this as “the first pro-life move since the regulation of abortion in 1956”. ABC News, 13 September 2022
• August 2022: Government study concludes that having too many educated women is a threat to the Hungarian birth rate, as graduates are less likely to marry and have children. The report also expresses concern that “feminine traits” may be encouraged by university education, leading to a weakening of “sexual equality”. BBC, 22 August 2022 
• May 2022: Hungary hosts CPAC, the US Conservative Political Action Conference. In his address to the conference, Prime Minister Viktor Orban again endorses the racist “Great Replacement” theory, stating Europe is committing suicide by allowing immigration. A CPAC speaker proposes banning abortion as a solution to population problems and immigration. Vice, 19 May 2022
• May 2022: Hungarian politican Tamás László calls for more policies to increse the birth rate including further promotion of marriage and to fight the ‘LGBTQ-lobby’. He also proposes that the government should follow US conservatives and consider revising abortion legislation ‘to make sure that all conceived children are actually born’. Budapost, 14 May 2022
• September 2021: Hungary hosts Fourth Budapest Demographic Summit at which political leaders pledge support for “pro-family” policies and opposition to immigration, Balkan Insight, 23 September 2021
• June 2021: Government is trying to erase LGBTQ identities, casting queer families as “illegitimate, non-procreative entities”, Vox, 28 June 2021

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For full background, read the Iran chapter of Welcome to Gilead

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• June 2023: A paramilitary militia has been ordered to crack down on abortions. “The ‘abortion patrol’, or ‘Nafs’, meaning ‘life’ in Persian, was announced by Saber Jabari Faruji, an official from the Ministry of Health, who warned that those involved in illegal abortions will be dealt with ‘severely’ “. The Telegraph, 5 June 2023
• May 2023: President orders government clinics to ban access to abortion pills. A government official confirms that laws regarding illegal abortions (almost all abortions in Iran) were being more strongly enforced “recently” and, according to a report,”that all pregnancies were being documented to prevent illegal abortions so that the population of the country could grow”. Iran International, 5 May 2023
• April 2023: The state-controlled Fars News agency claims Iran is facing a demographic “black hole” and targets parents having only one child. An article claims that “tendency to isolation, depression, weakness in communicating with peers, paying too much attention to computer and solitary games, fear or hatred of being in social groups are among the characteristics of being an only child.” Jerusalem Post 22 May 2023
• December 2022: The latest figures show Iran’s birth and fertility rates continue to reduce, despite the restrictions introduced by the regime in the last few years. In response, according to reports, President Ebrahim Raisi “considered promoting the culture of marriage and reducing divorce and helping to solve the problem of infertility as some of the effective factors in increasing the population, which should be the priority of attention and action of all institutions”. Tehran Times, 19 May 2023
• September 2022: Government’s “carrot and stick” approach to boosting birth rate extends to preferential treatment for parents, such as professional advancement in academic institutions, moving up the waiting list to buy a car. Further restrictions on reproductive rights include reported checks on women undergoing gynaecological surgery with the effect of making them infertile and men requiring to use fake documents to obtain vasectomies. Los Angeles Times, 14 September 2022
• August 2022: Reports of even more extreme difficulties in obtaining contraceptive supplies for women, illegal abortions due to the state ban, and “morality patrols”  Iranwire 10 August 2022
• June 2022: contraceptives banned from public display. A government document leaked on social media orders pharmacies to place contraceptives on rear shelves, out of sight of the front window.  Iranwire 29 June 2022
• June 2022: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini tells a group of students “It is unacceptable that the lifestyle of the upper classes of society has been adopted by different classes, and that flashy weddings and not having children have become common.” Los Angeles Times, 14 September 2022
• May 2022: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei makes renewed call for action to boost population, Iran International, 18 May 2022
• May 2022: Foetal screening tests (which can lead to abortions) restricted, France 24, 11 May 2022
• January 2021: Government forbids any form of contraception in nomadic areas, Iran International, 21 January 2022
• November 2021: AIDS and reproductive health specialists speak out against restrictions, Middle East Eye, 5 December 2022
• November 2021:  Restrictive “Rejuvenation of the population and support of the family” bill signed into law by Iranian president Radio Free Europe, 18 November 2021
• September 2021: United Nations human rights bodies criticise Iranian abortion ban and restrictions intended to boost birth rate, United Nations, 16 September 2021
• June 2021: Iran’s state hospitals and clinics no longer provide vasectomy services or contraceptives, The Guardian, 15 June 2021

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• September 2023: Italian Prime Minister Georgia Melloni attends Budapest Demographic Summit. See more in the “Influencers and Organisations” section below.
• May 2023: Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida tells conference on Italy’s birth rate that concern regarding it “is probably linked to the defence of that (sense of) belonging which many people are attached to … to what is the Italian culture, to our language family, to our way of life.” Ansa.it 11 May 2023
• April 2023: Government Minister claims the country risks “ethnic replacement” due to its low birth rate and the level of immigration. The comments from Francesco Lollobrigida of the Brothers of Italy Party, have sparked strong condemnation from other Italian politicians. MSN/The Telegraph 19 April 2023
• December 2022: Amid reports of increasing difficulties accessing abortion, anti-abortion politician Eugenia Roccella is appointed Minister for Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities. Reuters, 22 December 2022
• September 2022: Brothers of Italy party wins power (in coalition) in Italy. It has explicitly linked abortion to declining birth rate, and proposed linking of social welfare payments and motherhood. The Economist, September 2022; The Atlantic, 23 September 2022; 
• August 2022: Abortion provision limited in Marche region of Italy, where right wing Brothers of Italy party holds power. Local BoI leader states: “The Italian population is decreasing. I’m not saying foreigners shouldn’t have children but we need to create the conditions for Italians to reproduce.”  The Guardian, 22 August 2022

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For full background, read the Poland chapter of Welcome to Gilead

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• June 2023: Protests in Poland after an expectant mother died having been denied an abortion that could have saved her life, The Guardian, 14 June 2023
• January 2023: Women in Poland reported to be afraid to get pregnant as they are concerned they might not be able to get an abortion if complications arise, Euronews, 27 January 2023.
• November 2022: Chairman of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice Party attributes low birthrate to “cultural resistance” to having children among some sections of society, and young women drinking too much alcohol, Notes from Poland, 6 November 2022
• October 2022: Opinion poll in Poland shows narrow majority (52%) think abortion ban has made women less likely to want to have children – among women, the figure is 67%, Notes from Poland
• August 2022: One in five young Poles do not want to have children, according to a national poll, The First News, 19 August 2022
• February 2022: Poland ranked worst country in Europe for contraception access, Notes from Poland, 10 February 2022
• January 2022: More than 1,000 women and numerous human rights organisations have contested Poland’s draconian abortion ban in front of the European Court of Human Rights, Amnesty International, 26 January 2022
• December 2021: Government to launch new demographic plan based on “births, not migration”, Notes from Poland, 28 November 2021
• November 2021: Government considers limits on divorce to increase birth rate, and introduction of pregnancy, Newsweek, 20 November 2021

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For full background, read the Russia chapter of Welcome to Gilead

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• July 2023: State media ordered not to report on new statistics confirming Russia’s low birth rate. CNE News, 27 August 2023
• July 2023: Health minister Mikhail Murashko criticises women for prioritising education and careers before having children, describing it as an “improper practice”. Murashko notes how earlier childbirth gives more time for the third and fourth child, and refers to the country’s population as its “biggest challenge”. He also announces restrictions on the availability of abortion-inducing pills in pharmacies, and how “instructions” are being sent to obstetricians “including whole scripts on how they should talk with a woman”. Moscow Times 19 July 2023
• April 2023: Russia is prominent among the group of 22 nations blocking agreement on Comprehensive Sexuality Education at the UN’s Commission on Population and Development. United Nations, 14 April 2023.
• October 2022: Bizarre Russian government TV advertisement intended to deter people from emigrating attacks perceived Western values and lifestyle by targeting gays, vegetarians, antiracism and the childfree. Scottish Daily Express, 7 October 2022
• September 2022: Russian parliamentarians propose law to ban “childfree information” for children, Meduza, 7 September 2022
• August 2022: Russia revives Mother Heroine award, originally introduced in the Soviet era, for women who have ten children or more. President Putin reportedly spoke about the need for “drastic” measures to address Russia’s birth rate. Washington Post, 17 August 2022
• July 2022: Russian parliamentarians propose law banning “gay propaganda” as detrimental to family values and posing a “demographic threat”. The bill’s explanatory note specifically mentions the threat of “childfree” life choices. Meduza, 22 July 2022
• September 2021: Russia announces plan to boost the birth rate and “strengthen traditional family values” that aims to halve the number of abortions by 2025, partly by making pregnant women undergo counselling, RFE/RL, 22 September 2021
• September 2021: Russian official proposes that LGBTI+, “radical feminist” and childfree groups be labelled extremist, Moscow Times, 20 September 2021

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For full background, read the Turkey chapter of Welcome to Gilead

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• June 2023: President Erdogan tells Azerbaijani President Aliyev that “In Turkey, I say a family must have a minimum of three children. For Azerbaijan, I am saying a minimum of five children per family. If Azerbaijan manages to do this, it can be stronger. Population changes the paradigm about the future of the country.” Global Voices, 23 June.
• February 2023: the EPF European Contraception Policy Atlas 2023 reports that contraception consultations have become less accessible and the government website detailing contraceptive information completely disappeared in the last year. Contraception Policy Atlas Europe, 8 February 2023
• October 2022: President Erdogan tells male politician that his wife’s “career is to give birth to children. The number [of children] should be increased … Children are very important. Look, the PKK [families] have 5, 10, 15 children,” The PKK is a militant organisation from the country’s Kurdish minority Rudaw, 20 October 2022
• September 2021: Turkey withdraws from Istanbul Convention against violence towards women, Equal Times, 1 September 2021
• February 2020: Erdoğan urges deputies of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to have at least three children, duvaR.english, 20 February 2020
• March 2017: President Erdoğan calls on Turkish people living in the EU to have five children, Hurriyet Daily News, 17 March 2017

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For full background, read the USA chapter of Welcome to Gilead

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• March 2023: Republican state congressman proposes a bill giving tax breaks for heterosexual couples having more children – but none for gay couples. Pink News 10 March 2023.
• February 2023: The Congressional Budget Office projects that the 2022 abortion ban will have little effect on the birth rate, assuming further restrictions aren’t introduced. HuffPost 17 February 2023
• January 2023: Research shows significant minority of US citizens subscribe in some way to the ‘Great Replacement’ theory that immigrants from different cultures are intentionally trying to replace white Christians. Among Republicans and evangelical Christians, that becomes a majority at 55% and 51% respectively. A majority of Americans who most trust conservative media outlets (70%) and Fox News (56%) among television news sources believe “immigrants are invading our country and replacing our cultural and ethnic background”. Public Religion Research Institute 17 January 2023.
• Roe v Wade overturned by Supreme Court. CNN 24 June 2022
• May 2022: The US Conservative Political Action Conference takes place in Hungary. During the event, the CPAC chair proposes banning abortion as a solution to population concerns and the “Great Replacement” (the racist belief that white, Christian culture is being intentionally “outbred” by Muslims and people of colour). He states ““If you say there is a population problem in a country, but you’re killing millions of your own people through legalized abortion every year, if that were to be reduced, some of that problem is solved,” Vice, 19 May 2022
• March 2022: Many US states are passing or trying to pass abortion restrictions in anticipation of Roe v Wade being overturned later this year, New York Times, 7 March 2022
• March 2022: Coalition of US anti-abortion influencers call for end to abortion in a ‘Declaration for a New American Future’. The declaration links population “control” with eugenics and forced abortion, and identifies falling US fertility rates as a consequence of the policy. Signatories include senior figures in C-Fam and the Population Research institute, whose are featured in the Welcome to Gilead report. Lifenews.com 28 March 2022.
• January 2022: For a third time, the Supreme Court rejects a request by abortion providers to intervene in the ongoing legal challenge against Texas’ restrictive abortion law, France 24, 20 January 2022
• January 2022 Right-wing US commentator Tucker Carlson produces Fox documentary praising Hungary’s pronatal  policies and advancing Great Replacement Theory ideas Vox, 29 January 2022

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INFLUENCERS AND ORGANISATIONS

A growing number of non-governmental organisations and religious institutions have been influencing governments to adopt pronatal, anti-choice, and often anti-LGBT agendas. Some have infiltrated governments while others have been working behind the scenes, mobilising an international network of allies. The Vatican, for example, has used its global reach and permanent observer UN status to promote large families and deny sexual and reproductive healthcare around the world.

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• Elon Musk meets Hungarian President Katalin Novak to discuss population issues, later tweeting “Having children is saving the world”. Twitter/X 25 September 2023; Twitter/X 25 September 2023.
• September 2023: Fifth Budapest Demographic Summit takes place, hosted by the Hungarian government. Speakers included Viktor Orbán, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, the presidents of Bulgaria and Serbia and representatives from the governments of Turkey, Kazakhstan and Qatar, as well as high profile conservative commentator Jordan Peterson. Talking points included opposition to immigration, support of “traditional” heterosexual marriage and gender roles, and condemnation of those worrying too much about climate change. Germany’s ambassador to Hungary also attended, tweeting that there was “pseudo-scientific pre-opening waffle with references to ‘deviation’ “, which she said “introduced [a] dangerously wrong note.”. Politico, 21 September; Xpatloop, 15 September.
• August 2023: Elon Musk and Jordan Peterson express support for Hungary’s work to raise the birth rate, following interview with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán by right wing pundit, Tucker Carlson. Hungary Today, 30 August 2023. For more information on Elon Musk’s pronatal advocacy, see our blog and report, Which planet is he on? Elon Musk and the population apocalypse.
• May 2023: National Conservatism conference held in UK, in which Conservative MP talks of “the greatest threat to Western society” being a low birth rate, an issue raised by some other speakers. An address was also given by JD Vance, a US politician who has criticised the childfree and describes himself as “pro-life”. The Guardian, 15 May 2023 (JD Vance background, The Guardian, 26 July 2021)
• April 2023: A concerted push at two key UN meetings – the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Population and Development – against Comprehensive Sexuality Education is led by, among others, the Holy See and the Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam). C-Fam, 30 March 2023; C-Fam, 15 April 2023
• September 2022: Pope Francis again talks of concerns about the impact of a low birth rate, stating ““Today having children is a matter, I would say, of patriotism, also to take the country forward.” Catholic News Agency 12 September 2022
• August 2022: Catholic foundation which has opposed abortion and divorce runs poster campaign in Poland on the low birth rate, asking “where are these children?”, France 24, 10 August 2022
• May 2022: Pope Francis addresses “General State of Births” meeting in Italy, organized by the Natality Foundation and promoted by the Family Forum, stating that ““Fewer children are being born and this means impoverishing everyone’s future.” Vatican News 12 May 2022
• April 2022: French far right candidate Marine Le Pen enters final round of French election. Le Pen opposes extension of abortion rights, subscribes to ‘Great Replacement’ theories and proposes €100,000 grant to couple who have a third child. Le Monde 8 April 2022
• April 2022: US Catholic website carries item titled “Once and for all, overpopulation is a myth” written by Ruth Institute, a US-based “pro-family” organisation hostile to the “sexual revolution” and associated with anti-LGBTQI+ propaganda. National Catholic Register, 1 April 2022 
• January 2022: French populist politician Eric Zemmour, known for his anti-Muslim and anti-feminist rhetoric, proposes €10,000 baby bonus in rural areas, GetToText, 31 January 2022
• January 2022: European far-right leaders attend meeting in Madrid at which opposition to immigration and concern about low birth rates are reaffirmed, Euractive 31 January 2022
• January 2022: Catholic Church in Burkina Faso opposes government family planning campaign to reduce family size  Crux 25 January 2022
• January 2022: Pope Francis calls childfree people ‘selfish’, CNN, 5 January 2022
• September 2021: European Parliamentary Forum report identifies sources of hundreds of millions of dollars of funding for anti-reproductive rights activity in Europe, EPF, 6 September 2021

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Have you come across any other news about threats to reproductive and women’s rights driven by attempts to boost population growth? Perhaps you’ve seen an article written in a different language? You can share it with us by emailing updates@populationmatters.org with the subject line ‘Gilead Watch’.