🔗 Share this article Five Major Significant Developments in the Attack on the Freedoms of Women and Girls in 2025. A year ago, organisations advocating for women's rights were steeling themselves against a new Trump administration. Scarcely anyone expected. The torrent and swiftness of administrative decrees originating in the White House were regarded as a premeditated approach to cause confusion and fear. In many ways it worked – there was bewilderment, fury, and fatigue as groups rushed to address the shortfall left by a freeze on international development funds. But that was just the beginning. The US administration has been the primary force, complemented by vigorous campaigning by deeply conservative factions exploiting the situation to solidify transnational relationships with sympathetic regimes. The movement against gender equality denotes an international coalition of policymakers, doctrinal establishments, and activist outfits as well as wealthy philanthropists and dynasties that aim to roll back progress across a wide spectrum of issues. These include 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 advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We analyze five instances that impacted the safety, dignity and lives of females globally. The Dismantling of USAID In March, a month and a half following a prominent humanitarian funder is its funds are blocked, causing turmoil around the world, a top American diplomat announces that a vast majority of the body's projects will be terminated. American foreign service officers, ex-presidents and aid and medical specialists condemn the news, stating that lives will be lost. Human rights advocates say that the dismantling of this institution is greater than a budgetary issue, it is a savage attack on human rights and family planning and reproductive care. Many organisations say the impact on girls and women will be severe by shrinking assistance, especially in regions of instability. As the year ends, evidence indicates how a significant mortality toll has been exacted from disease, starvation, lack of access to maternal care and gender-based violence, with millions more to come. Two other major donor nations proceed with parallel slashes. A head of a worldwide campaign network says a choice to reduce international development funding is a gesture of alignment with another government's agenda. Faith-Based Activists Mobilize at UN Conference In the same month, several faith-based advocacy networks meet in an high-end hotel in NYC for a two-day conference held in parallel with the UN's flagship gender equality meeting. It is an chance to exchange strategies on how to counter the UN's progressive policies. They are in buoyant mood as they welcome new Washington directives on gender, diversity and abortion. Meanwhile, the UN secretary general opens the women’s summit with a stark warning that “the toxin of gendered hierarchy” is resurgent, after a analysis demonstrates that opponents of gender equality are deliberately weakening longstanding consensus on fundamental freedoms for women around the world. Summits Promoting Conservative Norms Over the warmer months, a series of conferences in Africa centered on the traditional family and national sovereignty raises concerns among equality campaigners. In May, a head of state and partner open a large assembly to resist what they label overseas agendas corrupting societal morals. A shortly thereafter, another continental gathering on traditional morals is held. Both events are attended by leading US and European anti-rights figures, including heads of influential networks. One speaker urges African NGOs to resist “international liberal agenda” of global institutions. In the following month, a global faith group hosts a event focused on reinforcing families in an African nation, an event that health activists say has become an anti-LGBTQ, anti-gender platform. Activists observe that the scale of their presence has expanded considerably. US Threat to Destroy Contraceptives As health facilities across Africa report they are running out of contraceptives, including post-rape care packages, the US announces in July plans to dispose of a vast stockpile of birth control held in a storage facility in Belgium. A global sexual health network states that their elimination will deprive a huge female population from family planning options, 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 deliberate form of reproductive oppression”. 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 declines every proposal. The situation remains in deadlock as the regional government are blocking perfectly good supplies to be incinerated. Widening of the Anti-Abortion Policy Bringing back the anti-abortion funding ban, which cuts American funding for groups that offer, promote, or give information about abortion services overseas, is standard practice for certain US administrations. It came as no surprise when the policy was restored in January. The administration also rejoined an international anti-abortion agreement. But in the autumn, the US announces it intends to extend the restrictions to include national governments and international bodies in addition to NGOs, and to cover diversity programmes. Additional information regarding the broader enforcement are likely forthcoming. A leader in global maternal health says extending the reach will have “unimaginable effects”. Pro-choice activists fear that fresh American assistance deals being discussed with African nations will become conditional on accepting the expanded global gag.
A year ago, organisations advocating for women's rights were steeling themselves against a new Trump administration. Scarcely anyone expected. The torrent and swiftness of administrative decrees originating in the White House were regarded as a premeditated approach to cause confusion and fear. In many ways it worked – there was bewilderment, fury, and fatigue as groups rushed to address the shortfall left by a freeze on international development funds. But that was just the beginning. The US administration has been the primary force, complemented by vigorous campaigning by deeply conservative factions exploiting the situation to solidify transnational relationships with sympathetic regimes. The movement against gender equality denotes an international coalition of policymakers, doctrinal establishments, and activist outfits as well as wealthy philanthropists and dynasties that aim to roll back progress across a wide spectrum of issues. These include 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 advance equality, spreading disinformation, and funding non-profit organisations. We analyze five instances that impacted the safety, dignity and lives of females globally. The Dismantling of USAID In March, a month and a half following a prominent humanitarian funder is its funds are blocked, causing turmoil around the world, a top American diplomat announces that a vast majority of the body's projects will be terminated. American foreign service officers, ex-presidents and aid and medical specialists condemn the news, stating that lives will be lost. Human rights advocates say that the dismantling of this institution is greater than a budgetary issue, it is a savage attack on human rights and family planning and reproductive care. Many organisations say the impact on girls and women will be severe by shrinking assistance, especially in regions of instability. As the year ends, evidence indicates how a significant mortality toll has been exacted from disease, starvation, lack of access to maternal care and gender-based violence, with millions more to come. Two other major donor nations proceed with parallel slashes. A head of a worldwide campaign network says a choice to reduce international development funding is a gesture of alignment with another government's agenda. Faith-Based Activists Mobilize at UN Conference In the same month, several faith-based advocacy networks meet in an high-end hotel in NYC for a two-day conference held in parallel with the UN's flagship gender equality meeting. It is an chance to exchange strategies on how to counter the UN's progressive policies. They are in buoyant mood as they welcome new Washington directives on gender, diversity and abortion. Meanwhile, the UN secretary general opens the women’s summit with a stark warning that “the toxin of gendered hierarchy” is resurgent, after a analysis demonstrates that opponents of gender equality are deliberately weakening longstanding consensus on fundamental freedoms for women around the world. Summits Promoting Conservative Norms Over the warmer months, a series of conferences in Africa centered on the traditional family and national sovereignty raises concerns among equality campaigners. In May, a head of state and partner open a large assembly to resist what they label overseas agendas corrupting societal morals. A shortly thereafter, another continental gathering on traditional morals is held. Both events are attended by leading US and European anti-rights figures, including heads of influential networks. One speaker urges African NGOs to resist “international liberal agenda” of global institutions. In the following month, a global faith group hosts a event focused on reinforcing families in an African nation, an event that health activists say has become an anti-LGBTQ, anti-gender platform. Activists observe that the scale of their presence has expanded considerably. US Threat to Destroy Contraceptives As health facilities across Africa report they are running out of contraceptives, including post-rape care packages, the US announces in July plans to dispose of a vast stockpile of birth control held in a storage facility in Belgium. A global sexual health network states that their elimination will deprive a huge female population from family planning options, 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 deliberate form of reproductive oppression”. 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 declines every proposal. The situation remains in deadlock as the regional government are blocking perfectly good supplies to be incinerated. Widening of the Anti-Abortion Policy Bringing back the anti-abortion funding ban, which cuts American funding for groups that offer, promote, or give information about abortion services overseas, is standard practice for certain US administrations. It came as no surprise when the policy was restored in January. The administration also rejoined an international anti-abortion agreement. But in the autumn, the US announces it intends to extend the restrictions to include national governments and international bodies in addition to NGOs, and to cover diversity programmes. Additional information regarding the broader enforcement are likely forthcoming. A leader in global maternal health says extending the reach will have “unimaginable effects”. Pro-choice activists fear that fresh American assistance deals being discussed with African nations will become conditional on accepting the expanded global gag.