🔗 Share this article Five Critical Pivotal Events in the Erosion of the Rights of Females in the Year 2025. This time last year, women’s rights organisations were bracing themselves for a new Trump administration. Hardly anyone anticipated. The volume and speed of administrative decrees originating in the White House were seen as a premeditated approach to overwhelm and create panic. In many ways it worked – there was confusion, anger and exhaustion as networks struggled to compensate for the loss left by a sudden aid suspension. But this merely marked the opening act. The US administration has been the key driver, aided by fervent lobbying efforts by deeply conservative factions seizing the opportunity to strengthen global ties with ideological partners. Often termed the anti-gender movement describes a worldwide alliance of elected officials, faith-based bodies, non-governmental organisations as well as billionaire families and individuals that seek to undermine advances on numerous fronts. This encompasses abortion, LGBTQ rights, trans rights, non-traditional family structures and comprehensive sexuality education. They pursue this agenda via pressuring states, backing lawsuits, disparaging UN work to advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We analyze five instances that shaped the protection, honor, and existence of women and girls. The Dismantling of USAID In the month of March, a month and a half following a major US aid agency is frozen, causing widespread distress, a top American diplomat states that nearly all of the agency’s programmes will be eliminated. American foreign service officers, past leaders and aid and medical specialists criticize the move, predicting that fatalities will ensue. Activists say that the demise of the agency is not just a financial shortfall, it is a savage attack on human rights and access to contraception and reproductive health services. A multitude of agencies say women and girls will be disproportionately affected by waning support, especially in conflict areas. As the year ends, reports confirm how hundreds of thousands of people have already died from disease, starvation, lack of access to maternal care and gender-based violence, with many more millions at risk. Two other major donor nations announce their own austerity measures. A leader of an international advocacy group says a move to cut foreign aid drastically is a gesture of alignment with another government's agenda. Christian-Right Groups Raise Voices During UN Women Summit In March, several faith-based advocacy networks meet in an high-end hotel in NYC for a two-day conference held in parallel with the international conference on women's rights. It is an forum to discuss methods on how to oppose what they term a UN overreach. They are in optimistic frame of mind as they welcome changes in American foreign policy on social issues and termination of pregnancy. Meanwhile, the UN secretary general opens the gender equality forum with a stark warning that “the poison of patriarchy” is resurgent, after a study indicates that groups opposing progressive rights are actively undermining longstanding consensus on core aspects of gender equality around the world. Summits Promoting Conservative Norms Over the warmer months, a series of conferences in Africa centered on the conservative family structures and national independence triggers anxiety among equality campaigners. In May, a head of state and partner open a major forum to push back on what they label external influences undermining local norms. A soon after, another Pan-African conference on traditional morals is held. Both events are graced by leading Western campaigners against gender ideology, including presidents of prominent organizations. One speaker exhorts African NGOs to resist “radical global social engineering” of global institutions. In June, a prominent church hosts a event focused on reinforcing families in West Africa, an event that pro-choice campaigners say has become a forum for opposing queer and trans rights. Campaigners note that the level of external participation has increased markedly. US Threat to Destroy Contraceptives As medical centers in numerous African countries report they are running out of contraceptives, including emergency kits for survivors of sexual violence, the US announces in July plans to dispose of a significant cache of reproductive health commodities held in a European depot. A major reproductive health federation states that their elimination will deprive millions of women and girls from contraceptive supplies, and lead to a public health crisis of unwanted pregnancies. The organization labels the plan an politically-motivated move “about imposing an anti-rights agenda on the entire world” and “an intentional act of reproductive coercion”. A international emergency medical charity calls it “heartless and dangerous”. Charities attempt to acquire the contraceptives so they can reach their intended destinations, but the US declines every proposal. The situation remains in deadlock as host nation officials will not allow perfectly good supplies to be incinerated. Broader Restrictions on Aid Bringing back the anti-abortion funding ban, which prohibits Washington's support for groups that offer, promote, or give information about abortion services overseas, is commonplace under certain US administrations. It was widely expected when the ban was reimposed in the first month of the year. The administration also reaffirmed membership in a pro-life declaration. But in October, the US announces it intends to broaden the scope of the policy to include governments and multilateral organisations in addition to NGOs, and to cover diversity programmes. Further specifics about the expansion of the rule are likely forthcoming. A leader in global maternal health says extending the reach will have “devastating consequences”. Reproductive justice campaigners fear that new US aid packages being discussed with African nations will become contingent upon adopting the new, wider policy.
This time last year, women’s rights organisations were bracing themselves for a new Trump administration. Hardly anyone anticipated. The volume and speed of administrative decrees originating in the White House were seen as a premeditated approach to overwhelm and create panic. In many ways it worked – there was confusion, anger and exhaustion as networks struggled to compensate for the loss left by a sudden aid suspension. But this merely marked the opening act. The US administration has been the key driver, aided by fervent lobbying efforts by deeply conservative factions seizing the opportunity to strengthen global ties with ideological partners. Often termed the anti-gender movement describes a worldwide alliance of elected officials, faith-based bodies, non-governmental organisations as well as billionaire families and individuals that seek to undermine advances on numerous fronts. This encompasses abortion, LGBTQ rights, trans rights, non-traditional family structures and comprehensive sexuality education. They pursue this agenda via pressuring states, backing lawsuits, disparaging UN work to advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We analyze five instances that shaped the protection, honor, and existence of women and girls. The Dismantling of USAID In the month of March, a month and a half following a major US aid agency is frozen, causing widespread distress, a top American diplomat states that nearly all of the agency’s programmes will be eliminated. American foreign service officers, past leaders and aid and medical specialists criticize the move, predicting that fatalities will ensue. Activists say that the demise of the agency is not just a financial shortfall, it is a savage attack on human rights and access to contraception and reproductive health services. A multitude of agencies say women and girls will be disproportionately affected by waning support, especially in conflict areas. As the year ends, reports confirm how hundreds of thousands of people have already died from disease, starvation, lack of access to maternal care and gender-based violence, with many more millions at risk. Two other major donor nations announce their own austerity measures. A leader of an international advocacy group says a move to cut foreign aid drastically is a gesture of alignment with another government's agenda. Christian-Right Groups Raise Voices During UN Women Summit In March, several faith-based advocacy networks meet in an high-end hotel in NYC for a two-day conference held in parallel with the international conference on women's rights. It is an forum to discuss methods on how to oppose what they term a UN overreach. They are in optimistic frame of mind as they welcome changes in American foreign policy on social issues and termination of pregnancy. Meanwhile, the UN secretary general opens the gender equality forum with a stark warning that “the poison of patriarchy” is resurgent, after a study indicates that groups opposing progressive rights are actively undermining longstanding consensus on core aspects of gender equality around the world. Summits Promoting Conservative Norms Over the warmer months, a series of conferences in Africa centered on the conservative family structures and national independence triggers anxiety among equality campaigners. In May, a head of state and partner open a major forum to push back on what they label external influences undermining local norms. A soon after, another Pan-African conference on traditional morals is held. Both events are graced by leading Western campaigners against gender ideology, including presidents of prominent organizations. One speaker exhorts African NGOs to resist “radical global social engineering” of global institutions. In June, a prominent church hosts a event focused on reinforcing families in West Africa, an event that pro-choice campaigners say has become a forum for opposing queer and trans rights. Campaigners note that the level of external participation has increased markedly. US Threat to Destroy Contraceptives As medical centers in numerous African countries report they are running out of contraceptives, including emergency kits for survivors of sexual violence, the US announces in July plans to dispose of a significant cache of reproductive health commodities held in a European depot. A major reproductive health federation states that their elimination will deprive millions of women and girls from contraceptive supplies, and lead to a public health crisis of unwanted pregnancies. The organization labels the plan an politically-motivated move “about imposing an anti-rights agenda on the entire world” and “an intentional act of reproductive coercion”. A international emergency medical charity calls it “heartless and dangerous”. Charities attempt to acquire the contraceptives so they can reach their intended destinations, but the US declines every proposal. The situation remains in deadlock as host nation officials will not allow perfectly good supplies to be incinerated. Broader Restrictions on Aid Bringing back the anti-abortion funding ban, which prohibits Washington's support for groups that offer, promote, or give information about abortion services overseas, is commonplace under certain US administrations. It was widely expected when the ban was reimposed in the first month of the year. The administration also reaffirmed membership in a pro-life declaration. But in October, the US announces it intends to broaden the scope of the policy to include governments and multilateral organisations in addition to NGOs, and to cover diversity programmes. Further specifics about the expansion of the rule are likely forthcoming. A leader in global maternal health says extending the reach will have “devastating consequences”. Reproductive justice campaigners fear that new US aid packages being discussed with African nations will become contingent upon adopting the new, wider policy.