Eight countries are battling to raise millions of dollars to replace the shortfalls triggered by Donald Trump's global anti-abortion gag rule.

It blocks US financing of groups that provide women with information about terminations - and was on one of the first executive orders the US President signed when he took office.

Sweden is the latest to join a growing alliance including Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland, Canada and Cape Verde in supporting the Netherlands' fundraising initiative, She Decides.

The project aims to help women access abortion services and warns Mr Trump's order will cause a funding shortfall of $600m (£477m) during the next four years.

Image: Donald Trump signing the gag order in the Oval Office

Isabella Lovin, Sweden's deputy prime minister, said: "(The gag order) could be so dangerous for so many women.


"If women don't have control over their bodies and their own fate it can have very serious consequences for global goals of gender rights and global poverty eradication."

Ms Lovin posed for a photograph this month with seven other female officials signing an environmental bill, in what was seen as a response to a photo of Mr Trump signing the order.

President Ronald Reagan banned the use of federal funds for advocating abortion in 1984, but Bill Clinton reversed the order when he took office in 1993.

Image: Isabella Lovin, Sweden's deputy prime minister, signs a bill

It was reinstated by George W Bush in 2001 and then cancelled again by Barack Obama in 2009, before being reinstated by Mr Trump.

Addressing the annual March of Life last month, Vice President Mike Pence said the Trump administration would look to end taxpayer-funded abortion.

He declared that "life is winning again in the United States of America" as he became the first sitting vice president to address the event.

"That is evident in the election of pro-life majorities in the Congress," he said.