🔗 Share this article Five Critical Crucial Incidents in the Erosion of the Rights of Women and Girls in 2025. This time last year, organisations advocating for women's rights were anticipating a new Trump administration. The ensuing chaos was largely unforeseen. The torrent and swiftness of White House mandates 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 agencies hastened to fill the gap left by a freeze on international development funds. But this was only the precursor. The Washington leadership has been the main instigator, complemented by fervent lobbying efforts by far-right organisations seizing the opportunity to strengthen global ties with like-minded governments. The movement against gender equality describes a worldwide alliance of political leaders, religious institutions, civil society groups as well as affluent financiers and clans that strive to weaken forward movement on multiple topics. Areas targeted involve abortion, LGBTQ rights, trans rights, non-traditional family structures and comprehensive sexuality education. They do this by advocating to officials, financing legal challenges, sabotaging multilateral work to advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We examine five junctures that shaped the protection, honor, and existence of females globally. The Demise of a Major Aid Agency In early spring, six weeks after a major US aid agency is halted, causing global disruption, a leading figure in the administration announces that a vast majority of the institution's work will be scrapped. Career diplomats, ex-presidents and humanitarian and health experts criticize the move, warning that lives will be lost. Activists say that the closure of the organization is more than a funding crisis, it is a brutal assault on fundamental freedoms and access to contraception and reproductive health services. Many organisations say women and girls will be disproportionately affected by diminishing aid, especially in regions of instability. As the year ends, evidence indicates how a significant mortality toll has been exacted from sickness, hunger, poor pregnancy healthcare, and abuse targeting females, with millions more to come. Another pair of leading funders proceed with parallel slashes. A leader of an international advocacy group says a move to cut foreign aid drastically is an attempt to placate a powerful partner. Faith-Based Activists Mobilize at UN Conference In March, several Christian-right organisations meet in an upmarket New York hotel for a two-day conference held concurrently with the UN's flagship gender equality meeting. It is an opportunity to share tactics on how to oppose what they term a UN overreach. They are in buoyant mood as they welcome 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 study indicates that opponents of gender equality are deliberately weakening longstanding consensus on key women’s rights issues around the world. African ‘Family Values’ Conferences Over the warmer months, a sequence of gatherings in Africa centered on the conventional household and state autonomy triggers anxiety among rights advocates. In the start of May, a national leader and spouse open a major forum to push back on what they label overseas agendas corrupting societal morals. A few days later, another regional summit on family values is held. Both events are attended by leading US and European anti-rights figures, including heads of influential networks. One speaker exhorts African NGOs to resist “radical global social engineering” of global institutions. In the following month, a major religious institution hosts a gathering about supporting traditional households in West Africa, an event that reproductive rights advocates say has become an anti-LGBTQ, anti-gender platform. Advocates remark that the extent of foreign involvement has expanded considerably. American Plan to Burn Birth Control As health facilities across Africa report they are running out of contraceptives, including post-rape care packages, the US announces in July plans to incinerate millions of dollars worth of contraceptives held in a European depot. A global sexual health network states that their elimination will deprive a huge female population from access to birth control, and lead to a public health crisis of unwanted pregnancies. The organization labels the plan an ideological decision “about imposing an anti-rights agenda on the entire world” and “a calculated move to control fertility”. A renowned doctors' group calls it “heartless and dangerous”. Charities attempt to acquire 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 refuse to permit usable products to be destroyed. Widening of the Anti-Abortion Policy Reviving the global gag rule, 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 was anticipated 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 sovereign states and UN agencies in addition to NGOs, and to include DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) projects. Further specifics about the broader enforcement are expected in early 2026. 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 conditional on accepting the broadened restrictions.
This time last year, organisations advocating for women's rights were anticipating a new Trump administration. The ensuing chaos was largely unforeseen. The torrent and swiftness of White House mandates 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 agencies hastened to fill the gap left by a freeze on international development funds. But this was only the precursor. The Washington leadership has been the main instigator, complemented by fervent lobbying efforts by far-right organisations seizing the opportunity to strengthen global ties with like-minded governments. The movement against gender equality describes a worldwide alliance of political leaders, religious institutions, civil society groups as well as affluent financiers and clans that strive to weaken forward movement on multiple topics. Areas targeted involve abortion, LGBTQ rights, trans rights, non-traditional family structures and comprehensive sexuality education. They do this by advocating to officials, financing legal challenges, sabotaging multilateral work to advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We examine five junctures that shaped the protection, honor, and existence of females globally. The Demise of a Major Aid Agency In early spring, six weeks after a major US aid agency is halted, causing global disruption, a leading figure in the administration announces that a vast majority of the institution's work will be scrapped. Career diplomats, ex-presidents and humanitarian and health experts criticize the move, warning that lives will be lost. Activists say that the closure of the organization is more than a funding crisis, it is a brutal assault on fundamental freedoms and access to contraception and reproductive health services. Many organisations say women and girls will be disproportionately affected by diminishing aid, especially in regions of instability. As the year ends, evidence indicates how a significant mortality toll has been exacted from sickness, hunger, poor pregnancy healthcare, and abuse targeting females, with millions more to come. Another pair of leading funders proceed with parallel slashes. A leader of an international advocacy group says a move to cut foreign aid drastically is an attempt to placate a powerful partner. Faith-Based Activists Mobilize at UN Conference In March, several Christian-right organisations meet in an upmarket New York hotel for a two-day conference held concurrently with the UN's flagship gender equality meeting. It is an opportunity to share tactics on how to oppose what they term a UN overreach. They are in buoyant mood as they welcome 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 study indicates that opponents of gender equality are deliberately weakening longstanding consensus on key women’s rights issues around the world. African ‘Family Values’ Conferences Over the warmer months, a sequence of gatherings in Africa centered on the conventional household and state autonomy triggers anxiety among rights advocates. In the start of May, a national leader and spouse open a major forum to push back on what they label overseas agendas corrupting societal morals. A few days later, another regional summit on family values is held. Both events are attended by leading US and European anti-rights figures, including heads of influential networks. One speaker exhorts African NGOs to resist “radical global social engineering” of global institutions. In the following month, a major religious institution hosts a gathering about supporting traditional households in West Africa, an event that reproductive rights advocates say has become an anti-LGBTQ, anti-gender platform. Advocates remark that the extent of foreign involvement has expanded considerably. American Plan to Burn Birth Control As health facilities across Africa report they are running out of contraceptives, including post-rape care packages, the US announces in July plans to incinerate millions of dollars worth of contraceptives held in a European depot. A global sexual health network states that their elimination will deprive a huge female population from access to birth control, and lead to a public health crisis of unwanted pregnancies. The organization labels the plan an ideological decision “about imposing an anti-rights agenda on the entire world” and “a calculated move to control fertility”. A renowned doctors' group calls it “heartless and dangerous”. Charities attempt to acquire 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 refuse to permit usable products to be destroyed. Widening of the Anti-Abortion Policy Reviving the global gag rule, 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 was anticipated 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 sovereign states and UN agencies in addition to NGOs, and to include DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) projects. Further specifics about the broader enforcement are expected in early 2026. 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 conditional on accepting the broadened restrictions.