🔗 Share this article Five Critical Crucial Incidents in the Erosion of the Rights of Women and Girls in the Year 2025. In the previous year, organisations advocating for women's rights were anticipating a second Trump term. The ensuing chaos was largely unforeseen. The volume and speed of administrative decrees coming out of 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 networks struggled to plug the hole left by a abrupt cessation of financial support. But the situation was about to worsen. The Trump administration has been the main instigator, aided by fervent lobbying efforts by religious fundamentalist networks exploiting the situation to forge international alliances with ideological partners. This opposition to progressive rights describes a worldwide alliance of government figures, churches, and advocacy collectives as well as billionaire families and individuals that aim to roll back gains in a variety of areas. Areas targeted involve access to termination, gay and trans protections, alternative households, and factual sexual instruction. They do this by advocating to officials, financing legal challenges, sabotaging multilateral work to foster equity, propagating misinformation, and bankrolling sympathetic charities. We review five instances that impacted the protection, honor, and existence of girls and women. The Demise of a Major Aid Agency In the month of March, six weeks after a key American development organization is its funds are blocked, causing global disruption, a top American diplomat announces that nearly all of the organization's initiatives will be axed. US diplomats, ex-presidents and aid and medical specialists criticize the move, stating that people will die as a result. Human rights advocates say that the demise of the agency is greater than a budgetary issue, it is a vicious offensive against basic liberties and family planning and reproductive care. Many organisations say females will bear the brunt by waning support, especially in war zones. As the year ends, statistics reveal how hundreds of thousands of people have already died from illness, famine, inadequate obstetric services, and violence against women, with a far greater catastrophe looming. Two other major donor nations proceed with parallel slashes. A leader of an international advocacy group says a decision to slash billions in overseas assistance is a move to appease a political ally. Christian-Right Groups Raise Voices During UN Women Summit In the same month, several conservative religious groups meet in an luxury Manhattan venue for a strategic summit held alongside the international conference on women's rights. It is an chance to exchange strategies on how to defeat the UN’s “radical agenda”. They are in high spirits as they applaud changes in American foreign policy on social issues and termination of pregnancy. Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations opens the women’s summit with a stark warning that “the poison of patriarchy” is returning, after a report shows that anti-rights actors are actively undermining longstanding consensus on core aspects of gender equality around the world. African ‘Family Values’ Conferences Over the summer, a sequence of gatherings in Africa themed around the traditional family and national sovereignty sparks alarm among human rights defenders. In May, a head of state and partner open a major forum to push back on what they label external influences undermining local norms. A shortly thereafter, another Pan-African conference on conservative ethics is held. Both events are attended by leading Western campaigners against gender ideology, including heads of influential networks. One speaker calls on African NGOs to stand up to “radical global social engineering” of multilateral bodies. In June, a major religious institution hosts a family strengthening conference in an African nation, an event that health activists say has become a forum for opposing queer and trans rights. Activists observe that the extent of foreign involvement has expanded considerably. Contraceptive Destruction Order As clinics in sub-Saharan Africa report they are running out of contraceptives, including prophylaxis for assault victims, the US announces in midsummer plans to incinerate millions of dollars worth of contraceptives held in a storage facility in Belgium. A leading family planning organization states that their incineration will prevent a huge female population from contraceptive supplies, and lead to a surge in unplanned pregnancies and dangerous terminations. The organization labels the plan an ideological decision “about exporting a regressive policy worldwide” and “an intentional act of reproductive coercion”. A international emergency medical charity calls it “cruel and irresponsible”. NGOs offer to buy the contraceptives so they can be distributed to those in need, but the US rejects each bid. The situation remains at a standstill as the regional government will not allow usable products to be destroyed. Broader Restrictions on Aid Reviving the global gag rule, which cuts American funding for groups that provide, advocate for or advise on abortion services overseas, is standard practice for certain US administrations. It was widely expected when the rule was reinstated in January. The administration also signed onto a conservative consensus document. But in October, the US announces it intends to expand the global gag rule 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 director of a major health partnership says broadening the policy will have “unimaginable effects”. Reproductive justice campaigners fear that upcoming Washington funding agreements being negotiated with countries in Africa will become contingent upon adopting the broadened restrictions.
In the previous year, organisations advocating for women's rights were anticipating a second Trump term. The ensuing chaos was largely unforeseen. The volume and speed of administrative decrees coming out of 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 networks struggled to plug the hole left by a abrupt cessation of financial support. But the situation was about to worsen. The Trump administration has been the main instigator, aided by fervent lobbying efforts by religious fundamentalist networks exploiting the situation to forge international alliances with ideological partners. This opposition to progressive rights describes a worldwide alliance of government figures, churches, and advocacy collectives as well as billionaire families and individuals that aim to roll back gains in a variety of areas. Areas targeted involve access to termination, gay and trans protections, alternative households, and factual sexual instruction. They do this by advocating to officials, financing legal challenges, sabotaging multilateral work to foster equity, propagating misinformation, and bankrolling sympathetic charities. We review five instances that impacted the protection, honor, and existence of girls and women. The Demise of a Major Aid Agency In the month of March, six weeks after a key American development organization is its funds are blocked, causing global disruption, a top American diplomat announces that nearly all of the organization's initiatives will be axed. US diplomats, ex-presidents and aid and medical specialists criticize the move, stating that people will die as a result. Human rights advocates say that the demise of the agency is greater than a budgetary issue, it is a vicious offensive against basic liberties and family planning and reproductive care. Many organisations say females will bear the brunt by waning support, especially in war zones. As the year ends, statistics reveal how hundreds of thousands of people have already died from illness, famine, inadequate obstetric services, and violence against women, with a far greater catastrophe looming. Two other major donor nations proceed with parallel slashes. A leader of an international advocacy group says a decision to slash billions in overseas assistance is a move to appease a political ally. Christian-Right Groups Raise Voices During UN Women Summit In the same month, several conservative religious groups meet in an luxury Manhattan venue for a strategic summit held alongside the international conference on women's rights. It is an chance to exchange strategies on how to defeat the UN’s “radical agenda”. They are in high spirits as they applaud changes in American foreign policy on social issues and termination of pregnancy. Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations opens the women’s summit with a stark warning that “the poison of patriarchy” is returning, after a report shows that anti-rights actors are actively undermining longstanding consensus on core aspects of gender equality around the world. African ‘Family Values’ Conferences Over the summer, a sequence of gatherings in Africa themed around the traditional family and national sovereignty sparks alarm among human rights defenders. In May, a head of state and partner open a major forum to push back on what they label external influences undermining local norms. A shortly thereafter, another Pan-African conference on conservative ethics is held. Both events are attended by leading Western campaigners against gender ideology, including heads of influential networks. One speaker calls on African NGOs to stand up to “radical global social engineering” of multilateral bodies. In June, a major religious institution hosts a family strengthening conference in an African nation, an event that health activists say has become a forum for opposing queer and trans rights. Activists observe that the extent of foreign involvement has expanded considerably. Contraceptive Destruction Order As clinics in sub-Saharan Africa report they are running out of contraceptives, including prophylaxis for assault victims, the US announces in midsummer plans to incinerate millions of dollars worth of contraceptives held in a storage facility in Belgium. A leading family planning organization states that their incineration will prevent a huge female population from contraceptive supplies, and lead to a surge in unplanned pregnancies and dangerous terminations. The organization labels the plan an ideological decision “about exporting a regressive policy worldwide” and “an intentional act of reproductive coercion”. A international emergency medical charity calls it “cruel and irresponsible”. NGOs offer to buy the contraceptives so they can be distributed to those in need, but the US rejects each bid. The situation remains at a standstill as the regional government will not allow usable products to be destroyed. Broader Restrictions on Aid Reviving the global gag rule, which cuts American funding for groups that provide, advocate for or advise on abortion services overseas, is standard practice for certain US administrations. It was widely expected when the rule was reinstated in January. The administration also signed onto a conservative consensus document. But in October, the US announces it intends to expand the global gag rule 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 director of a major health partnership says broadening the policy will have “unimaginable effects”. Reproductive justice campaigners fear that upcoming Washington funding agreements being negotiated with countries in Africa will become contingent upon adopting the broadened restrictions.