🔗 Share this article Five Major Landmark Occurrences in the Erosion of the Rights of Women and Girls in 2025. In the previous year, women’s rights organisations were anticipating a second Trump term. The ensuing chaos was largely unforeseen. The flood and velocity of White House mandates issued from the White House were viewed as a premeditated approach to induce a state of shock. In many ways it worked – there was chaos, resentment, and burnout as groups rushed to address the shortfall left by a major funding freeze. But the situation was about to worsen. The Trump administration has been the main instigator, aided by intense advocacy work by deeply conservative factions exploiting the situation to forge international alliances with ideological partners. The movement against gender equality refers to a global network of political leaders, religious institutions, civil society groups as well as billionaire families and individuals that strive to weaken forward movement on multiple topics. This covers abortion, LGBTQ rights, trans rights, non-traditional family structures and comprehensive sexuality education. They pursue this agenda via influencing policymakers, funding litigation, undermining global initiatives to promote fairness, circulating falsehoods, and resourcing aligned NGOs. We review five moments that impacted the protection, honor, and existence of girls and women. The Demise of a Major Aid Agency In early spring, shortly after a prominent humanitarian funder is halted, causing global disruption, a top American diplomat announces that over eighty percent of the agency’s programmes will be eliminated. Career diplomats, former presidents and humanitarian and health experts condemn the news, warning that mortality will increase. Activists say that the closure of the organization 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 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 sickness, hunger, poor pregnancy healthcare, and abuse targeting females, with millions more to come. Two other major donor nations follow with their own cuts. A leader of an international advocacy group says a choice to reduce international development funding is a move to appease a political ally. Faith-Based Activists Mobilize at UN Conference In the same month, several Christian-right organisations meet in an high-end hotel in NYC for a strategic summit held alongside the annual UN Women gathering. It is an forum to discuss methods on how to oppose what they term a UN overreach. They are in buoyant mood as they celebrate changes in American foreign policy on social issues and termination of pregnancy. Meanwhile, the world's top diplomat opens the global conference with a somber alert that “the venom of male dominance” is back, after a study indicates that opponents of gender equality are deliberately weakening historic agreements on key women’s rights issues around the world. African ‘Family Values’ Conferences Over the summer, a sequence of gatherings in Africa themed around the traditional family and national sovereignty raises concerns among equality campaigners. In early May, a president and first lady open a large assembly to resist 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 leaders of well-known groups. One speaker calls on African NGOs to resist “radical global social engineering” of international organizations. In June, a major religious institution hosts a event focused on reinforcing families in West Africa, an event that health activists say has become a stage for criticizing gender equality. Campaigners note that the scale of their presence has expanded considerably. Contraceptive Destruction Order As clinics in sub-Saharan Africa report they are facing shortages of birth control, including emergency kits for survivors of sexual violence, the US announces in midsummer plans to incinerate a vast stockpile of birth control held in a warehouse in Europe. A global sexual health network states that their destruction will deny a huge female population from family planning options, and lead to hundreds of thousands of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. The organization labels the plan an politically-motivated move “about exporting a regressive policy worldwide” and “a deliberate form of reproductive oppression”. A prominent medical humanitarian organization calls it “heartless and dangerous”. NGOs offer to buy the contraceptives so they can be distributed to those in need, but the US declines every proposal. The situation remains at a standstill as the regional government will not allow usable products to be destroyed. Widening of the Anti-Abortion Policy Reviving the global gag rule, 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 ban was reimposed in January. The administration also reaffirmed membership in a pro-life declaration. But in the autumn, the US announces it intends to extend the restrictions to include sovereign states and UN agencies in addition to NGOs, and to include DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) projects. Additional information regarding the broader enforcement are likely forthcoming. A director of a major health partnership says broadening the policy will have “catastrophic impacts”. Reproductive justice campaigners fear that upcoming Washington funding agreements being discussed with African nations will become dependent on agreeing to the broadened restrictions.
In the previous year, women’s rights organisations were anticipating a second Trump term. The ensuing chaos was largely unforeseen. The flood and velocity of White House mandates issued from the White House were viewed as a premeditated approach to induce a state of shock. In many ways it worked – there was chaos, resentment, and burnout as groups rushed to address the shortfall left by a major funding freeze. But the situation was about to worsen. The Trump administration has been the main instigator, aided by intense advocacy work by deeply conservative factions exploiting the situation to forge international alliances with ideological partners. The movement against gender equality refers to a global network of political leaders, religious institutions, civil society groups as well as billionaire families and individuals that strive to weaken forward movement on multiple topics. This covers abortion, LGBTQ rights, trans rights, non-traditional family structures and comprehensive sexuality education. They pursue this agenda via influencing policymakers, funding litigation, undermining global initiatives to promote fairness, circulating falsehoods, and resourcing aligned NGOs. We review five moments that impacted the protection, honor, and existence of girls and women. The Demise of a Major Aid Agency In early spring, shortly after a prominent humanitarian funder is halted, causing global disruption, a top American diplomat announces that over eighty percent of the agency’s programmes will be eliminated. Career diplomats, former presidents and humanitarian and health experts condemn the news, warning that mortality will increase. Activists say that the closure of the organization 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 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 sickness, hunger, poor pregnancy healthcare, and abuse targeting females, with millions more to come. Two other major donor nations follow with their own cuts. A leader of an international advocacy group says a choice to reduce international development funding is a move to appease a political ally. Faith-Based Activists Mobilize at UN Conference In the same month, several Christian-right organisations meet in an high-end hotel in NYC for a strategic summit held alongside the annual UN Women gathering. It is an forum to discuss methods on how to oppose what they term a UN overreach. They are in buoyant mood as they celebrate changes in American foreign policy on social issues and termination of pregnancy. Meanwhile, the world's top diplomat opens the global conference with a somber alert that “the venom of male dominance” is back, after a study indicates that opponents of gender equality are deliberately weakening historic agreements on key women’s rights issues around the world. African ‘Family Values’ Conferences Over the summer, a sequence of gatherings in Africa themed around the traditional family and national sovereignty raises concerns among equality campaigners. In early May, a president and first lady open a large assembly to resist 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 leaders of well-known groups. One speaker calls on African NGOs to resist “radical global social engineering” of international organizations. In June, a major religious institution hosts a event focused on reinforcing families in West Africa, an event that health activists say has become a stage for criticizing gender equality. Campaigners note that the scale of their presence has expanded considerably. Contraceptive Destruction Order As clinics in sub-Saharan Africa report they are facing shortages of birth control, including emergency kits for survivors of sexual violence, the US announces in midsummer plans to incinerate a vast stockpile of birth control held in a warehouse in Europe. A global sexual health network states that their destruction will deny a huge female population from family planning options, and lead to hundreds of thousands of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. The organization labels the plan an politically-motivated move “about exporting a regressive policy worldwide” and “a deliberate form of reproductive oppression”. A prominent medical humanitarian organization calls it “heartless and dangerous”. NGOs offer to buy the contraceptives so they can be distributed to those in need, but the US declines every proposal. The situation remains at a standstill as the regional government will not allow usable products to be destroyed. Widening of the Anti-Abortion Policy Reviving the global gag rule, 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 ban was reimposed in January. The administration also reaffirmed membership in a pro-life declaration. But in the autumn, the US announces it intends to extend the restrictions to include sovereign states and UN agencies in addition to NGOs, and to include DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) projects. Additional information regarding the broader enforcement are likely forthcoming. A director of a major health partnership says broadening the policy will have “catastrophic impacts”. Reproductive justice campaigners fear that upcoming Washington funding agreements being discussed with African nations will become dependent on agreeing to the broadened restrictions.