In an email dated 8/8/19, the charity stated: “In relation to abortion and contraceptive {sic}, VSO is discretely pro-choice, because the organisation believes that in order to provide truly comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, then the full range of recognised clinical options around family planning should be made available wherever possible. This includes access to all forms of contraception and to safe abortion services where they are available, appropriate and acting within the law of the country of operation.
“VSO does not currently provide abortion services directly in any country where we operate and – in countries where is abortion is still illegal – we do not promote abortion and would oppose illegal activity out of respect to the national laws of the country concerned.”

This charity objects strongly to so-called Global Gag Rule, or the Mexico City Policy which prohibits US federal funding to be given to non-governmental that provide abortion counselling or referrals, advocate to decriminalize abortion, or expand abortion services.
This is the statement on their website:
“President Trump’s Global Gag Rule could withhold all US global health funding from any foreign organization that engages in abortion services, research or advocacy, even from non-US government sources. It forces these organizations to choose: abandon all abortion-related services, or lose all US government funding for critical global health programs including water, sanitation and hygiene. Approximately one-third of water, sanitation and hygiene funding is categorized as global health funding. That’s why the Global Gag Rule may have a direct and drastic impact on WASH services worldwide, including the ones we provide.”
WASH is an acronym for “water, sanitation and hygiene”.
https://www.wateraid.org/us/the-global-gag-rule
In 2017-2018 UK annual report and financial statements Wateraid UK states “Working with Plan International and Unicef, we researched and created guidance on how to reach people in the most remote areas of the world. Our guidance will help policy-makers to design, fund and build services that will work best in their context.” (Page 8.) Both Unicef and Plan International promote abortion provision.
Wateraid in Australia co-produced a report with Marie Stopes International titled: Integrating Menstrual Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, and Sexual and Reproductive Health in Asia and the Pacific Region. The aim of the report was “to identify opportunities for collaboration on the issue of menstrual health and SRH {sexual and reproductive health}”.
Wateraid’s concern about the Mexico City policy is founded on their collaboration with organisations either promoting or providing abortion.

In a letter dated 18/6/19, the charity stated: “Wellbeing of Women has launched an ambitious pipeline of pioneering medical research, such as funding Dr Sarah McClelland, who is working on preventing chemotherapy resistance in cancer, and Professor Scott Nelson, who is hoping to improve success rates.”
The letter referred questions on embryo research to the guidelines produced by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
It went on: “We recently funded Dr Sharon Cameron’s study at the University of Edinburgh that investigated providing contraception for women post-partum.
“Wellbeing of Women supports the right for all women to make informed choices about their own bodies. We believe that all women should have access to information in order to do so.”