At the SRI we decided to take a closer look at what happened during 2020. The COVID-19 crisis presents devastating and costly moments of national and global reckoning. Despite calls - and in some cases commitments - to ‘build back better’ by state and non-state actors, it is clear that there isn’t agreement on what ‘better’ is. Building back better ought to mean not "back" to the business of relentless growth regardless of the planet's capacity, back to the "better" objectification of workers into resources, the commodification of every relationship, and the "creative destruction" that characterizes neoliberalism.

The effect on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the long term may well be far worse than the dire predictions of global institutions, as states turn inwards, multilateralism is sacrificed for national or ethnic benefit, and social justice struggles face an unprecedented setback. While our analysis too will continue to evolve, the trends and events in the fields of SRHR, both heartening and alarming, require immediate attention.