🔗 Share this article Five Landmark Occurrences in the Attack on the Freedoms of Women and Girls in the Year 2025. In the previous year, organisations advocating for women's rights were bracing themselves for a return of Donald Trump to office. Hardly anyone anticipated. The flood and velocity of White House mandates issued from the White House were seen as a intentional maneuver to paralyze through overload. In many ways it worked – there was bewilderment, fury, and fatigue as groups rushed to address the shortfall left by a major funding freeze. But the situation was about to worsen. The Washington leadership has been the main instigator, supported by fervent lobbying efforts by religious fundamentalist networks exploiting the situation to strengthen global ties with sympathetic regimes. The movement against gender equality describes a worldwide alliance of policymakers, doctrinal establishments, and activist outfits as well as billionaire families and individuals that aim to roll back progress across a wide spectrum of issues. Areas targeted involve reproductive choice, queer and transgender freedoms, diverse family models, and honest sex ed. They achieve this through lobbying governments, supporting court cases, discrediting international efforts to advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We examine five instances that affected the security, respect, and well-being of girls and women. USAID Dismantled In March, shortly after a prominent humanitarian funder is frozen, causing international chaos, a leading figure in the administration reveals that nearly all of the institution's work will be scrapped. American foreign service officers, past leaders and relief and public health authorities denounce the action, warning that people will die as a result. Activists say that the demise of the agency is more than a funding crisis, it is a vicious offensive against basic liberties and birth control and maternal healthcare. A multitude of agencies say females will bear the brunt by waning support, especially in war zones. As the year ends, reports confirm how a significant mortality toll has been exacted from illness, famine, inadequate obstetric services, and violence against women, with a far greater catastrophe looming. Additional key contributing countries initiate similar reductions. A director of a global justice organization says a decision to slash billions in overseas assistance is an attempt to placate a powerful partner. Conservative Religious Groups Lobby at UN Women Meeting In the same month, several Christian-right organisations meet in an upmarket New York hotel for a two-day conference held alongside the annual UN Women gathering. 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 LGBTQ issues, inclusion, and reproductive rights. Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations opens the global conference with a somber alert that “the venom of male dominance” is back, after a report shows 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 sequence of gatherings in Africa focused on the conventional household and state autonomy triggers anxiety among equality campaigners. In May, a president and first lady open a major forum to push back on what they label overseas agendas corrupting societal morals. A shortly thereafter, another Pan-African conference on family values is held. Both events are graced by leading American and European conservative activists, including presidents of prominent organizations. One speaker calls on African NGOs to stand up to “worldwide progressive social restructuring” of multilateral bodies. In June, a global faith group hosts a event focused on reinforcing families in the region, an event that reproductive rights advocates say has become an anti-LGBTQ, anti-gender platform. Campaigners note that the level of external participation has grown significantly. Contraceptive Destruction Order As clinics in sub-Saharan Africa report they are depleting their stocks of family planning supplies, including post-rape care packages, the US announces in July plans to dispose of a significant cache of reproductive health commodities held in a European depot. A global sexual health network states that their incineration will prevent a huge female population 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 imposing an anti-rights agenda on the entire world” and “a calculated move to control fertility”. A international emergency medical charity calls it “heartless and dangerous”. Aid groups propose purchasing 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 usable products to be destroyed. ‘Global Gag Rule’ Expanded 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 was widely expected when the policy was restored 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 extend the restrictions to include governments and multilateral organisations in addition to NGOs, and to cover diversity programmes. More details on the broader enforcement are expected in early 2026. A expert in child welfare says widening the scope will have “devastating consequences”. Advocates for bodily autonomy fear that upcoming Washington funding agreements being discussed with African nations will become contingent upon adopting the expanded global gag.
In the previous year, organisations advocating for women's rights were bracing themselves for a return of Donald Trump to office. Hardly anyone anticipated. The flood and velocity of White House mandates issued from the White House were seen as a intentional maneuver to paralyze through overload. In many ways it worked – there was bewilderment, fury, and fatigue as groups rushed to address the shortfall left by a major funding freeze. But the situation was about to worsen. The Washington leadership has been the main instigator, supported by fervent lobbying efforts by religious fundamentalist networks exploiting the situation to strengthen global ties with sympathetic regimes. The movement against gender equality describes a worldwide alliance of policymakers, doctrinal establishments, and activist outfits as well as billionaire families and individuals that aim to roll back progress across a wide spectrum of issues. Areas targeted involve reproductive choice, queer and transgender freedoms, diverse family models, and honest sex ed. They achieve this through lobbying governments, supporting court cases, discrediting international efforts to advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We examine five instances that affected the security, respect, and well-being of girls and women. USAID Dismantled In March, shortly after a prominent humanitarian funder is frozen, causing international chaos, a leading figure in the administration reveals that nearly all of the institution's work will be scrapped. American foreign service officers, past leaders and relief and public health authorities denounce the action, warning that people will die as a result. Activists say that the demise of the agency is more than a funding crisis, it is a vicious offensive against basic liberties and birth control and maternal healthcare. A multitude of agencies say females will bear the brunt by waning support, especially in war zones. As the year ends, reports confirm how a significant mortality toll has been exacted from illness, famine, inadequate obstetric services, and violence against women, with a far greater catastrophe looming. Additional key contributing countries initiate similar reductions. A director of a global justice organization says a decision to slash billions in overseas assistance is an attempt to placate a powerful partner. Conservative Religious Groups Lobby at UN Women Meeting In the same month, several Christian-right organisations meet in an upmarket New York hotel for a two-day conference held alongside the annual UN Women gathering. 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 LGBTQ issues, inclusion, and reproductive rights. Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations opens the global conference with a somber alert that “the venom of male dominance” is back, after a report shows 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 sequence of gatherings in Africa focused on the conventional household and state autonomy triggers anxiety among equality campaigners. In May, a president and first lady open a major forum to push back on what they label overseas agendas corrupting societal morals. A shortly thereafter, another Pan-African conference on family values is held. Both events are graced by leading American and European conservative activists, including presidents of prominent organizations. One speaker calls on African NGOs to stand up to “worldwide progressive social restructuring” of multilateral bodies. In June, a global faith group hosts a event focused on reinforcing families in the region, an event that reproductive rights advocates say has become an anti-LGBTQ, anti-gender platform. Campaigners note that the level of external participation has grown significantly. Contraceptive Destruction Order As clinics in sub-Saharan Africa report they are depleting their stocks of family planning supplies, including post-rape care packages, the US announces in July plans to dispose of a significant cache of reproductive health commodities held in a European depot. A global sexual health network states that their incineration will prevent a huge female population 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 imposing an anti-rights agenda on the entire world” and “a calculated move to control fertility”. A international emergency medical charity calls it “heartless and dangerous”. Aid groups propose purchasing 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 usable products to be destroyed. ‘Global Gag Rule’ Expanded 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 was widely expected when the policy was restored 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 extend the restrictions to include governments and multilateral organisations in addition to NGOs, and to cover diversity programmes. More details on the broader enforcement are expected in early 2026. A expert in child welfare says widening the scope will have “devastating consequences”. Advocates for bodily autonomy fear that upcoming Washington funding agreements being discussed with African nations will become contingent upon adopting the expanded global gag.