A Quintet of Significant Developments in the Erosion of the Rights of Women and Girls in the Past Year.

A year ago, groups dedicated to gender equality were bracing themselves for a Trump presidency sequel. Scarcely anyone expected. The volume and speed of administrative decrees originating in the White House were viewed as a premeditated approach to overwhelm and create panic. This strategy had its intended impact – there was disarray, outrage, and weariness as agencies hastened to compensate for the loss left by a major funding freeze. But that was just the beginning.

The Washington leadership has been the main instigator, bolstered by fervent lobbying efforts by deeply conservative factions exploiting the situation to build worldwide connections with ideological partners.

The movement against gender equality denotes an international coalition of political leaders, religious institutions, civil society groups as well as ultra-rich backers and donors that aim to roll back progress across a wide spectrum of issues. Areas targeted involve abortion, LGBTQ rights, trans rights, non-traditional family structures and comprehensive sexuality education.

They achieve this through lobbying governments, supporting court cases, discrediting international efforts to foster equity, propagating misinformation, and bankrolling sympathetic charities.

We analyze five instances that impacted the welfare, autonomy, and survival of women and girls.

The Dismantling of USAID

In the month of March, six weeks after a major US aid agency is suspended, causing turmoil around the world, a leading figure in the administration announces that nearly all of the organization's initiatives will be axed. US diplomats, ex-presidents and aid and medical specialists condemn the news, stating that mortality will increase. Rights defenders say that the closure of the organization is more than a funding crisis, 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 waning support, especially in regions of instability. 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. Another pair of leading funders announce their own austerity measures. A director of a global justice organization says a move to cut foreign aid drastically is an attempt to placate a powerful partner.

Conservative Religious Groups Lobby at UN Women Meeting

In the same month, several conservative religious groups meet in an luxury Manhattan venue for a strategic summit held in parallel with the international conference on women's rights. It is an forum to discuss methods on how to defeat the UN’s “radical agenda”. They are in optimistic frame of mind as they applaud new Washington directives on gender, diversity and abortion. Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations opens the women’s summit with a grave caution that “the venom of male dominance” is returning, after a analysis demonstrates that groups opposing progressive rights are systematically eroding historic agreements on core aspects of gender equality around the world.

Summits Promoting Conservative Norms

Over the summer, a series of conferences in Africa centered on the conservative family structures and national independence raises concerns among equality campaigners. In the start of May, a head of state and partner open a significant conference to resist what they label external influences undermining local norms. A soon after, another continental gathering on conservative ethics is held. Both events are graced by leading US and European anti-rights figures, including presidents of prominent organizations. One speaker exhorts African NGOs to push back against “radical global social engineering” 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 an anti-LGBTQ, anti-gender platform. Advocates remark that the level of external participation has grown significantly.

US Threat to Destroy Contraceptives

As health facilities across Africa report they are running out of contraceptives, including prophylaxis for assault victims, the US announces in midsummer plans to destroy a vast stockpile of birth control held in a European depot. A leading family planning organization states that their destruction will deny millions of women and girls from access to birth control, and lead to hundreds of thousands of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. The organization labels the plan an politically-motivated move “about exporting a regressive policy worldwide” and “an intentional act of reproductive coercion”. A prominent medical humanitarian organization calls it “callous and reckless”. NGOs offer to buy the contraceptives so they can be distributed to those in need, but the US refuses all offers. The situation remains unresolved as local authorities are blocking perfectly good supplies to be incinerated.

Widening of the Anti-Abortion Policy

Bringing back the anti-abortion funding ban, which halts US aid to groups that provide, advocate for or advise on abortion services overseas, is typical of certain US administrations. It came as no surprise when the policy was restored in the first month of the year. The administration also reaffirmed membership in a pro-life declaration. But in the autumn, the US announces it intends to expand the global gag rule to include sovereign states and UN agencies in addition to NGOs, and to encompass equity and inclusion initiatives. Additional information regarding the expansion of the rule are expected in early 2026. A leader in global maternal health says broadening the policy will have “catastrophic impacts”. Reproductive justice campaigners fear that new US aid packages being arranged with states on the continent will become dependent on agreeing to the broadened restrictions.