Australia will provide $9.5 million to strengthen the sexual and reproductive health of women during humanitarian crises in the Indo-Pacific region.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, speaking at an aid conference in Canberra on Wednesday, reaffirmed support for what's called the SPRINT program.
The announcement came as Labor expressed concern about a decision by US President Donald Trump to cut funding to aid organisations that provide abortion services.
"Sexual and reproductive health challenges are leading causes of death and disability among women and girls in the world today," Ms Bishop said.
The SPRINT program provides safer birthing environments, family planning services, HIV prevention and treatment, protection against sexual violence and assistance to survivors of rape and violence in crisis-affected places.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Australia since 2007 has contributed $26.3 million to the program which has reached 890, 000 women in crisis-affected areas, including recent events in Fiji, Nepal and Vanuatu.
Labor senator Lisa Singh said the 'global gag rule', as Trump's executive order is known, would affect the maternal health of millions of women around the world, including child brides and those at risk of unsafe abortions.
"We recall that prominent photo of President Donald Trump sitting there, with a number of men behind him, signing away the rights of women and girls around the world," she told reporters.
Senator Singh has written to the foreign minister requesting Australia join the Dutch, and Belgian and Canadian and Swedish governments in plugging the $600 million funding gap left by the US rule.
Billionaire philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates have also spoken against the 'global gag rule' warning that foundations such as theirs will not be able to fill the funding gap.
