Departing international development minister Lilianne Ploumen has urged the incoming government to continue the She Decides fund that she launched in February to support family planning initiatives in the developing world.

Ploumen said $300 million had been raised internationally for the fund, which was set up in response to US president Donald Trump’s decision to pull financing from groups that assist or advocate abortion around the world.

‘The Netherlands has gained international recognition with this; if the next government minister says they want to let it go it would be a bit of a blow for the Netherlands,’ Ploumen told NOS radio show Met Het Oog op Morgen.

Trump’s imposition of the so-called Global Gag Rule prompted warnings that it would leave women and girls in developing countries at risk of unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions.

The She Decides fund aims to fully compensate the $600 million that the Trump administration withdrew in funding by the end of 2017.