🔗 Share this article A Quintet of Significant Developments in the Challenge to the Rights of Women and Girls in 2025. A year ago, organisations advocating for women's rights were preparing for a new Trump administration. The ensuing chaos was largely unforeseen. The volume and speed of administrative decrees originating in the White House were regarded as a intentional maneuver to induce a state of shock. This strategy had its intended impact – there was bewilderment, fury, and fatigue as networks struggled to address the shortfall left by a sudden aid suspension. But this merely marked the opening act. The US administration has been the central catalyst, aided by relentless activism by ultra-conservative groups seizing the opportunity to strengthen global ties with political allies. The movement against gender equality refers to a global network of elected officials, faith-based bodies, non-governmental organisations as well as ultra-rich backers and donors that aim to roll back progress across a wide spectrum of issues. These include access to termination, gay and trans protections, alternative households, and factual sexual instruction. They achieve this through lobbying governments, supporting court cases, discrediting international efforts to advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We review five instances that impacted the safety, dignity and lives of the female population. The Demise of a Major Aid Agency In the month of March, a month and a half following a key American development organization is halted, causing global disruption, a top American diplomat confirms that a vast majority of the body's projects will be terminated. Career diplomats, ex-presidents and aid and medical specialists decry the decision, predicting that fatalities will ensue. Activists say that the dismantling of this institution is greater than a budgetary issue, it is a brutal assault on fundamental freedoms and family planning and reproductive care. A multitude of agencies say the impact on girls and women will be severe by reduced funding, especially in conflict areas. As the year ends, data shows how a tremendous loss of life has already occurred from sickness, hunger, poor pregnancy healthcare, and abuse targeting females, with a far greater catastrophe looming. Two other major donor nations proceed with parallel slashes. A director of a global justice organization says a choice to reduce international development funding is a move to appease a political ally. Faith-Based Activists Mobilize at UN Conference In March, several faith-based advocacy networks meet in an luxury Manhattan venue for a strategic summit held concurrently with the international conference on women's rights. It is an opportunity to share tactics on how to oppose what they term a UN overreach. They are in optimistic frame of mind as they applaud new Washington directives on gender, diversity and abortion. Meanwhile, the world's top diplomat opens the women’s summit with a stark warning that “the toxin of gendered hierarchy” is back, after a report shows that groups opposing progressive rights are actively undermining established norms on key women’s rights issues around the world. Summits Promoting Conservative Norms Over the summer, a sequence of gatherings in Africa themed around the conventional household and state autonomy sparks alarm among equality campaigners. In the start of May, a head of state and partner open a significant conference to push back on what they label overseas agendas corrupting societal morals. A soon after, another Pan-African conference on conservative ethics is held. Both events are graced by leading Western campaigners against gender ideology, including presidents of prominent organizations. One speaker calls on African NGOs to resist “worldwide progressive social restructuring” of global institutions. In the following month, a prominent church hosts a family strengthening conference in an African nation, an event that health activists say has become a stage for criticizing gender equality. Advocates remark that the level of external participation has expanded considerably. American Plan to Burn Birth Control As medical centers in numerous African countries report they are depleting their stocks of family planning supplies, including post-rape care packages, the US announces in July plans to incinerate a vast stockpile of birth control held in a warehouse in Europe. A global sexual health network states that their elimination will deprive countless females from contraceptive supplies, and lead to hundreds of thousands of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. The organization labels the plan an politically-motivated move “about forcing a conservative worldview globally” and “a calculated move to control fertility”. A international emergency medical charity calls it “callous and reckless”. Charities attempt to acquire the contraceptives so they can reach their intended destinations, but the US refuses all offers. The situation remains unresolved as local authorities are blocking perfectly good supplies to be incinerated. Broader Restrictions on Aid Reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits Washington's support for groups that offer, promote, or give information about abortion services overseas, is standard practice for certain US administrations. It came as no surprise when the policy was restored in the first month of the year. The administration also rejoined an international anti-abortion agreement. But in October, the US announces it intends to expand the global gag rule to include governments and multilateral organisations in addition to NGOs, and to cover diversity programmes. More details on the expansion of the rule are expected in early 2026. A leader in global maternal health says extending the reach will have “catastrophic impacts”. Reproductive justice campaigners fear that fresh American assistance deals being discussed with African nations will become conditional on accepting the new, wider policy.
A year ago, organisations advocating for women's rights were preparing for a new Trump administration. The ensuing chaos was largely unforeseen. The volume and speed of administrative decrees originating in the White House were regarded as a intentional maneuver to induce a state of shock. This strategy had its intended impact – there was bewilderment, fury, and fatigue as networks struggled to address the shortfall left by a sudden aid suspension. But this merely marked the opening act. The US administration has been the central catalyst, aided by relentless activism by ultra-conservative groups seizing the opportunity to strengthen global ties with political allies. The movement against gender equality refers to a global network of elected officials, faith-based bodies, non-governmental organisations as well as ultra-rich backers and donors that aim to roll back progress across a wide spectrum of issues. These include access to termination, gay and trans protections, alternative households, and factual sexual instruction. They achieve this through lobbying governments, supporting court cases, discrediting international efforts to advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We review five instances that impacted the safety, dignity and lives of the female population. The Demise of a Major Aid Agency In the month of March, a month and a half following a key American development organization is halted, causing global disruption, a top American diplomat confirms that a vast majority of the body's projects will be terminated. Career diplomats, ex-presidents and aid and medical specialists decry the decision, predicting that fatalities will ensue. Activists say that the dismantling of this institution is greater than a budgetary issue, it is a brutal assault on fundamental freedoms and family planning and reproductive care. A multitude of agencies say the impact on girls and women will be severe by reduced funding, especially in conflict areas. As the year ends, data shows how a tremendous loss of life has already occurred from sickness, hunger, poor pregnancy healthcare, and abuse targeting females, with a far greater catastrophe looming. Two other major donor nations proceed with parallel slashes. A director of a global justice organization says a choice to reduce international development funding is a move to appease a political ally. Faith-Based Activists Mobilize at UN Conference In March, several faith-based advocacy networks meet in an luxury Manhattan venue for a strategic summit held concurrently with the international conference on women's rights. It is an opportunity to share tactics on how to oppose what they term a UN overreach. They are in optimistic frame of mind as they applaud new Washington directives on gender, diversity and abortion. Meanwhile, the world's top diplomat opens the women’s summit with a stark warning that “the toxin of gendered hierarchy” is back, after a report shows that groups opposing progressive rights are actively undermining established norms on key women’s rights issues around the world. Summits Promoting Conservative Norms Over the summer, a sequence of gatherings in Africa themed around the conventional household and state autonomy sparks alarm among equality campaigners. In the start of May, a head of state and partner open a significant conference to push back on what they label overseas agendas corrupting societal morals. A soon after, another Pan-African conference on conservative ethics is held. Both events are graced by leading Western campaigners against gender ideology, including presidents of prominent organizations. One speaker calls on African NGOs to resist “worldwide progressive social restructuring” of global institutions. In the following month, a prominent church hosts a family strengthening conference in an African nation, an event that health activists say has become a stage for criticizing gender equality. Advocates remark that the level of external participation has expanded considerably. American Plan to Burn Birth Control As medical centers in numerous African countries report they are depleting their stocks of family planning supplies, including post-rape care packages, the US announces in July plans to incinerate a vast stockpile of birth control held in a warehouse in Europe. A global sexual health network states that their elimination will deprive countless females from contraceptive supplies, and lead to hundreds of thousands of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. The organization labels the plan an politically-motivated move “about forcing a conservative worldview globally” and “a calculated move to control fertility”. A international emergency medical charity calls it “callous and reckless”. Charities attempt to acquire the contraceptives so they can reach their intended destinations, but the US refuses all offers. The situation remains unresolved as local authorities are blocking perfectly good supplies to be incinerated. Broader Restrictions on Aid Reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits Washington's support for groups that offer, promote, or give information about abortion services overseas, is standard practice for certain US administrations. It came as no surprise when the policy was restored in the first month of the year. The administration also rejoined an international anti-abortion agreement. But in October, the US announces it intends to expand the global gag rule to include governments and multilateral organisations in addition to NGOs, and to cover diversity programmes. More details on the expansion of the rule are expected in early 2026. A leader in global maternal health says extending the reach will have “catastrophic impacts”. Reproductive justice campaigners fear that fresh American assistance deals being discussed with African nations will become conditional on accepting the new, wider policy.