🔗 Share this article A Quintet of Pivotal Events in the Rollback of the Freedoms of Women and Girls in 2025. Twelve months prior, women’s rights organisations were steeling themselves against a return of Donald Trump to office. Scarcely anyone expected. The flood and velocity of executive orders originating in the White House were interpreted as a deliberate tactic to induce a state of shock. To a large extent, it succeeded – there was confusion, anger and exhaustion as agencies hastened to fill the gap left by a major funding freeze. But the situation was about to worsen. The Washington leadership has been the primary force, supported by vigorous campaigning by ultra-conservative groups exploiting the situation to strengthen global ties with sympathetic regimes. This opposition to progressive rights describes a worldwide alliance of government figures, churches, and advocacy collectives as well as billionaire families and individuals that seek to undermine advances on numerous fronts. These include reproductive choice, queer and transgender freedoms, diverse family models, and honest sex ed. They accomplish their goals by pressuring states, backing lawsuits, disparaging UN work to advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We look at five episodes that impacted the welfare, autonomy, and survival of girls and women. USAID Effectively Dismantled In the month of March, shortly after a major US aid agency is its funds are blocked, causing international chaos, a leading figure in the administration reveals that a vast majority of the organization's initiatives will be axed. Career diplomats, past leaders and aid and medical specialists denounce the action, cautioning that lives will be lost. Human rights advocates say that the dismantling of this institution is not just a financial shortfall, it is a vicious offensive against basic liberties and birth control and maternal healthcare. Numerous groups say females will bear the brunt by shrinking assistance, especially in conflict areas. As the year ends, statistics reveal how a tremendous loss of life has already occurred from sickness, hunger, poor pregnancy healthcare, and abuse targeting females, with millions more to come. Another pair of leading funders initiate similar reductions. A head of a worldwide campaign network says a decision to slash billions in overseas assistance is a move to appease a political ally. Faith-Based Activists Mobilize at UN Conference In the same month, several conservative religious groups meet in an luxury Manhattan venue for a biannual gathering held in parallel with the UN's flagship gender equality meeting. It is an chance to exchange strategies on how to oppose what they term a UN overreach. They are in buoyant mood as they welcome changes in American foreign policy on gender, diversity and abortion. Meanwhile, the world's top diplomat opens the gender equality forum with a stark warning that “the poison of patriarchy” is back, after a report shows that groups opposing progressive rights are systematically eroding historic agreements on key women’s rights issues around the world. Summits Promoting Conservative Norms Over the summer, a cluster of meetings in Africa focused on the traditional family and national sovereignty sparks alarm among human rights defenders. In early May, a president and first lady open a significant conference to push back on what they label external influences undermining local norms. A shortly thereafter, another Pan-African conference on family values is held. Both events are attended by leading American and European conservative activists, including heads of influential networks. One speaker urges African NGOs to resist “international liberal agenda” of international organizations. In June, a prominent church hosts a event focused on reinforcing families in West Africa, an event that health activists say has become a stage for criticizing gender equality. Activists observe that the scale of their presence has increased markedly. US Threat to Destroy Contraceptives As clinics in sub-Saharan Africa report they are facing shortages of birth control, including post-rape care packages, the US announces in July plans to incinerate a vast stockpile of birth control held in a storage facility in Belgium. A global sexual health network states that their incineration will prevent a huge female population from contraceptive supplies, and lead to a public health crisis of unwanted pregnancies. The organization labels the plan an politically-motivated move “about exporting a regressive policy worldwide” and “an intentional act of reproductive coercion”. A renowned doctors' group calls it “heartless and dangerous”. Aid groups propose purchasing the contraceptives so they can be distributed to those in need, but the US rejects each bid. The situation remains at a standstill as host nation officials are blocking 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 provide, advocate for or advise on 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 signed onto a conservative consensus document. But in October, the US announces it intends to extend the restrictions to include governments and multilateral organisations in addition to NGOs, and to include DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) projects. More details on the expansion of the rule are likely forthcoming. A leader in global maternal health says widening the scope will have “catastrophic impacts”. Reproductive justice campaigners fear that upcoming Washington funding agreements being negotiated with countries in Africa will become dependent on agreeing to the expanded global gag.
Twelve months prior, women’s rights organisations were steeling themselves against a return of Donald Trump to office. Scarcely anyone expected. The flood and velocity of executive orders originating in the White House were interpreted as a deliberate tactic to induce a state of shock. To a large extent, it succeeded – there was confusion, anger and exhaustion as agencies hastened to fill the gap left by a major funding freeze. But the situation was about to worsen. The Washington leadership has been the primary force, supported by vigorous campaigning by ultra-conservative groups exploiting the situation to strengthen global ties with sympathetic regimes. This opposition to progressive rights describes a worldwide alliance of government figures, churches, and advocacy collectives as well as billionaire families and individuals that seek to undermine advances on numerous fronts. These include reproductive choice, queer and transgender freedoms, diverse family models, and honest sex ed. They accomplish their goals by pressuring states, backing lawsuits, disparaging UN work to advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We look at five episodes that impacted the welfare, autonomy, and survival of girls and women. USAID Effectively Dismantled In the month of March, shortly after a major US aid agency is its funds are blocked, causing international chaos, a leading figure in the administration reveals that a vast majority of the organization's initiatives will be axed. Career diplomats, past leaders and aid and medical specialists denounce the action, cautioning that lives will be lost. Human rights advocates say that the dismantling of this institution is not just a financial shortfall, it is a vicious offensive against basic liberties and birth control and maternal healthcare. Numerous groups say females will bear the brunt by shrinking assistance, especially in conflict areas. As the year ends, statistics reveal how a tremendous loss of life has already occurred from sickness, hunger, poor pregnancy healthcare, and abuse targeting females, with millions more to come. Another pair of leading funders initiate similar reductions. A head of a worldwide campaign network says a decision to slash billions in overseas assistance is a move to appease a political ally. Faith-Based Activists Mobilize at UN Conference In the same month, several conservative religious groups meet in an luxury Manhattan venue for a biannual gathering held in parallel with the UN's flagship gender equality meeting. It is an chance to exchange strategies on how to oppose what they term a UN overreach. They are in buoyant mood as they welcome changes in American foreign policy on gender, diversity and abortion. Meanwhile, the world's top diplomat opens the gender equality forum with a stark warning that “the poison of patriarchy” is back, after a report shows that groups opposing progressive rights are systematically eroding historic agreements on key women’s rights issues around the world. Summits Promoting Conservative Norms Over the summer, a cluster of meetings in Africa focused on the traditional family and national sovereignty sparks alarm among human rights defenders. In early May, a president and first lady open a significant conference to push back on what they label external influences undermining local norms. A shortly thereafter, another Pan-African conference on family values is held. Both events are attended by leading American and European conservative activists, including heads of influential networks. One speaker urges African NGOs to resist “international liberal agenda” of international organizations. In June, a prominent church hosts a event focused on reinforcing families in West Africa, an event that health activists say has become a stage for criticizing gender equality. Activists observe that the scale of their presence has increased markedly. US Threat to Destroy Contraceptives As clinics in sub-Saharan Africa report they are facing shortages of birth control, including post-rape care packages, the US announces in July plans to incinerate a vast stockpile of birth control held in a storage facility in Belgium. A global sexual health network states that their incineration will prevent a huge female population from contraceptive supplies, and lead to a public health crisis of unwanted pregnancies. The organization labels the plan an politically-motivated move “about exporting a regressive policy worldwide” and “an intentional act of reproductive coercion”. A renowned doctors' group calls it “heartless and dangerous”. Aid groups propose purchasing the contraceptives so they can be distributed to those in need, but the US rejects each bid. The situation remains at a standstill as host nation officials are blocking 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 provide, advocate for or advise on 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 signed onto a conservative consensus document. But in October, the US announces it intends to extend the restrictions to include governments and multilateral organisations in addition to NGOs, and to include DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) projects. More details on the expansion of the rule are likely forthcoming. A leader in global maternal health says widening the scope will have “catastrophic impacts”. Reproductive justice campaigners fear that upcoming Washington funding agreements being negotiated with countries in Africa will become dependent on agreeing to the expanded global gag.