Introduction

Around the world, activists and advocates are pressing forward despite the obstruction of anti-rights actors—and their hard work is paying off.

As we wrap up up 2025 and start looking ahead to 2026, this list of global wins on reproductive rights is a reminder that there’s lots to celebrate.  

So, our holiday gift to you: ten good things that happened in 2025.  

UN condemns forced pregnancy

1. The UN recognized forced pregnancy and motherhood as human rights violations.  

In January and June, the United Nations Human Rights Committee issued landmark rulings in the cases of Norma v. Ecuador, Susana v. Nicaragua, Lucía v. Nicaragua, and Fátima v. Guatemala—all concerning girls who were raped at ages 12 or 13, denied abortion care, and forced into pregnancy and motherhood. The Center for Reproductive Rights, in a collaborative effort with local co-litigating organizations, brought complaints on their behalf.  

Declaring that the girls’ human rights were violated, the Committee called for states to amend their laws to ensure access to safe abortion, especially in cases involving sexual violence; for states to take action to combat sexual violence; and for comprehensive reparations for survivors. The rulings—and their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) protections—will reach across 170+ countries. 

Arizona & Michigan strike down bans

2. Arizona and Michigan courts struck down unconstitutional abortion bans.  

Judges in Arizona and Michigan removed key barriers to abortion access this year, ruling that restrictive state laws violated state constitutional amendments protecting abortion. Arizona and Michigan voters approved these amendments in the wake of the overturn of Roe v. Wade—a good reminder that the majority of the American public supports abortion rights.

The Center filed lawsuits last year challenging those restrictive laws in both states. This March, an Arizona judge permanently blocked the state’s 15-week abortion ban, allowing Arizona providers to again care for their patients safely and without fear of criminal charges. And in Michigan, a court struck down three burdensome restrictions this past May. 

Europe liberalizes abortion laws

3. European countries liberalized their abortion laws.  

Countries across Europe adopted or advanced reforms to improve access to abortion care this year. The Faroe Islands repealed one of Europe’s last remaining highly restrictive abortion laws and legalized abortion on request; Denmark and Norway extended the legal timeframe for accessing abortion and removed parental consent requirements for minors; Luxembourg abolished its mandatory waiting period and is slated—together with Sweden—to afford constitutional protections to abortion in 2026; and the Netherlands made medication abortion available through general practitioners.

And in a major step towards abortion reform, the UK House of Commons voted to repeal a Victorian-era law that criminalizes women who obtain abortions outside legal pathways in England and Wales. While it still needs to clear further stages before becoming law, the vote marks a critical breakthrough in the effort to end the criminalization of women seeking abortion care. 

Nigeria & Malawi recognize abortion rights

4. Nigeria and Malawi courts recognized the right to safe abortion for victims of sexual violence.

Victories in the high courts of Nigeria and Malawi set important legal precedent this year, affirming that people who become pregnant as a result of sexual violence have the right to access safe, legal abortion.

The Nigeria ruling, secured by the Center in partnership with the Reproductive Justice Initiative Foundation, marked a crucial step toward abortion reform in a country where unsafe abortion claims the lives of roughly 6,000 pregnant people each year. And the Malawi case, joined by the Center as an amicus curiae, established legal recognition that the country’s Gender Equality Act protects access to abortion.  

U.S. states expand provider protections

5. U.S. states expanded laws to protect abortion providers.

In the post-Roe U.S., state abortion bans are forcing people to seek abortion care across state lines, or via telemedicine—and their home states are increasingly trying to take legal action against the providers who treat them. Enter shield laws: laws designed to protect these providers against such legal action.  

This year, the Center’s advocacy work helped secure the expansion of shield laws in Colorado, Maine, New York, and Vermont, enhancing confidentiality for telehealth providers and ensuring continued abortion access for their patients.   

Nepal strengthens adolescent rights

6. Nepal strengthened the sexual and reproductive rights of adolescents. 

Adolescents in Nepal face significant barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health services and information. But in response to a 2020 lawsuit filed by the Center and the Forum for Women, Law, and Development, Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population adopted new guidelines on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights—a key step toward improving services and reforming policy more broadly.  

The guidelines ensure standards for adolescent-friendly services, including equitable and non-discriminatory service provision, community support, the promotion of adolescents’ health literacy, and the participation of adolescents in law and policy. The Supreme Court issued its final ruling in the case this year, reaffirming and strengthening the advancements made by the Ministry. 

Read more about the Center’s advocacy work on adolescent health in Asia.

Hawai’i protects midwives

7. Hawai’i expanded protections for midwives.  

Hawai‘i passed a law this year repealing harmful restrictions on traditional midwives, many of whom had been forced to stop practicing. Developed in response to a lawsuit brought by the Center, the new law eliminates criminal penalties for midwifery and expands pathways to licensure. 

For native Hawai’ian and Pacific Islander women, pregnancy-related death rates are among the highest in the U.S.—due in part to a lack of maternal care access. Traditional midwives are often the only providers who can travel to help pregnant people in rural areas, and the culturally informed care they offer is essential to countering the state’s maternal health crisis. 

Learn more about the U.S. maternal health crisis.

Rwanda removes barrier to care

8. Rwanda lowered the minimum age for accessing sexual and reproductive health care without parental consent.  

Rwanda has long required parental consent for anyone under the age of 18 to access health services. This barrier to care and information has helped drive up teen pregnancy rates: between 2020 and 2022 alone, the number of teenage pregnancies rose from about 19,700 to more than 24,400 

But this August, as a result of sustained advocacy by the Center and its partners, the country passed groundbreaking legislation lowering that age to 15. For the first time, Rwandans aged 15 and above are able to seek contraception, HIV prevention, and other SRH services and information without parental or third-party consent—a decisive step towards guaranteeing adolescents the full exercise of their sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

EU moves to confirm victims’ rights

9. The European Union moved to confirm access to sexual and reproductive health care for survivors of violence.

On December 11, the EU institutions agreed to adopt legislation confirming that survivors of sexual violence must have access to essential services across all Member States. In a historic milestone, the new legislation will clearly spell out the sexual and reproductive health care which must be available to victims of sexual violence, including access to safe abortion, emergency contraception, post-exposure prophylaxis treatment, and testing for sexually transmitted infections. The agreed text will now go to the European Parliament and Council for final approval, before being officially adopted in 2026. 

Parliament and Council for final approval, before being officially adopted in 2026. 

UN adopts historic resolution

10. The UN Human Rights Council adopted a historic resolution with the first-ever standalone reference to sexual and reproductive health and rights.  

This groundbreaking resolution affirms the rights to bodily autonomy and to sexual and reproductive health, and the Center worked closely with progressive Member States to ensure strong language and counter efforts to weaken it. Resolutions like this play an important role in shaping international norms that, in turn, inform national laws, policies, and funding decisions that directly impact people across the globe. 

Looking forward

Looking forward

As we move into 2026, many challenges remain ahead. But these wins are proof that the world we envision is within reach—for adolescents in Nepal; people seeking abortion care from Norway to Nigeria to Michigan; girls in Ecuador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua; and for all people around the world.  
 
The Center is in this fight for the long haul, and we know we’re not alone. Thank you for being with us as we defend today and build for tomorrow.