Progress on women’s rights and gender equality is being eroded by increasingly organised and well-funded opposition, with consequences for women’s safety, economic life and political participation around the world, a new Commonwealth report finds.
Launched at the Commonwealth Women’s Forum in Antigua and Barbuda on 4 November, on the margins of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the report examines how coordinated opposition is shaping politics, policy and public opinion, and sets out steps governments can take to protect progress.
Findings
Between 2019 and 2023, an estimated US$1.18 billion was spent across borders on efforts to oppose women’s rights, gender equality and inclusion. Nearly a quarter of governments around the world have also reported a rise in coordinated opposition to gender equality.
The report finds that this opposition is deepening long-standing inequalities and reversing progress in some areas. It points to rising sexism, harassment and violence against women in public life, including online abuse; cuts to institutions supporting gender equality; rigid expectations around unpaid care; and resistance to recognising the impacts of climate change on women and girls.
The report warns that the impact extends well beyond gender equality, with setbacks for women carrying wider consequences for democracy, economic growth and climate action.
‘Preserving rights, securing prosperity’
Commonwealth Secretary-General Hon Shirley Botchwey said:
“The report reminds us that progress on gender equality is never guaranteed. It can be won and it can be lost.
“Organised efforts are raising the barriers women and girls already face, putting their rights, safety and opportunities further out of reach. We know that when women and girls are pushed back, everyone loses. Families lose incomes. Communities are less able to withstand climate shocks. Democracies lose voices and trust.
“We cannot stand by and watch that happen. This report shows us where progress is being lost and what we must do to protect it. We must turn back the rising tide of discrimination and exclusion and build a future where every woman and girl can exercise her rights, live safely and fulfil her potential. Preserving rights and securing prosperity – this remains central to our Commonwealth vision of shared prosperity.”
Recommendations
To counter the pushback, the report identifies the need for stronger laws to protect women and girls, including from online violence, alongside greater investment in girls’ education, digital skills, childcare and workplace protections to help more women participate in the economy. It also urges governments to ensure climate policies reflect women’s needs and strengthen women’s voice and participation in decision-making.
Other recommendations include sustained funding for institutions advancing gender equality, better gender data, and closer regional and Commonwealth co-operation to share approaches that work.
Read the Pushback against Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the Commonwealth Report
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