Advance U.S. Foreign Policy

The Universal Access Project works to safeguard and strengthen the largest source of funding for global sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide – U.S. foreign assistance.

Supporting a coordinated group of advocates to transform U.S. foreign policy.

Rafaela and Maria, Guatemala © Universal Access Project

Over the last decade, UAP has channeled $20 million through our pooled fund to safeguard and advance the foreign assistance on which more than 27 million women and their partners rely.

In the face of unprecedented efforts to restrict sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice (SRHRJ) in the U.S. and many countries around the world, the UAP community has laid the groundwork to go beyond simply reversing this damage and returning to an overrated status quo. This is a critical moment for the U.S. to advance a progressive foreign policy that prioritizes gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights – and go further than any prior U.S. administration by also addressing reproductive justice.

We recognize that the work to transform U.S. foreign policy is powered by people and takes years of dedicated, consistent support. Through our pooled fund, we are privileged to support partners who are established, seasoned advocates. UAP is also honored to welcome new partners – longstanding leaders from the reproductive justice movement – to engage in U.S. foreign policy advocacy.

Impact

Despite relentless efforts to roll back human rights under the previous U.S. presidential administration, UAP advocates and partners were able to maintain bipartisan support for global SRHR and sustain U.S. funding for reproductive health programs at approximately $600 million per year – protecting the single largest funding source for global reproductive health. UAP’s ongoing engagement with top-tier U.S. press also generated more than 3 billion media impressions to ensure harmful policy actions did not go unnoticed.

Thanks to UAP's sustained, multi-year investments in this coordinated group of advocates – who are working to build trust and credibility with key policymakers in Congress and the administration – we have restored funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, and reversed the harmful global gag rule. We now have an unprecedented opportunity to implement the first-ever national gender equity policy.