The Commonwealth Secretariat has called on governments to strengthen legal protections, increase funding for women’s rights institutions and expand investment in girls’ education as growing, organised opposition threatens progress on gender equality across member countries.
The call followed the launch of a new report, The Pushback against Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the Commonwealth: Dynamics and Implications, which estimates that US$1.18 billion was spent across borders between 2019 and 2023 on efforts to oppose women’s rights, gender equality and inclusion globally.
The report, launched on November 4 at the Commonwealth Women’s Forum in Antigua and Barbuda, on the sidelines of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, examines how coordinated opposition is influencing political decisions, government policies and public opinion.
It warns that increasingly organised and well-funded resistance is undermining efforts to advance women’s economic, political and social participation, with consequences for women’s safety, opportunities and representation.
According to the report, nearly a quarter of governments worldwide have reported an increase in coordinated opposition to gender equality initiatives.
The publication identifies five priority areas affected by the growing resistance: women’s leadership, women’s economic empowerment, ending violence against women and girls, gender and climate change, and accountability for gender equality.
It highlights increasing incidents of sexism, harassment and violence against women in public life, particularly female political leaders and parliamentarians, including abuse facilitated through digital platforms.
The report also raises concerns about declining institutional support for gender equality programmes, noting that reduced funding for national women’s institutions is weakening their capacity to advance women’s leadership and participation.
On economic empowerment, it observes that entrenched expectations surrounding unpaid domestic and care responsibilities continue to place a disproportionate burden on women, limiting their opportunities to participate fully in the labour market.
It further identifies technology-facilitated violence against women and girls, inadequate legal protections, reduced funding for survivor support services and child marriage in remote communities as persistent challenges.
The report also warns that resistance to recognising the gendered effects of climate change, alongside declining political commitment to collecting gender-disaggregated data, is making it more difficult to monitor progress and design effective interventions.
Reacting to the findings, Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Botchwey, said progress on gender equality could not be taken for granted.
“The report reminds us that progress on gender equality is never guaranteed. It can be won and it can be lost,” she said.
Botchwey noted that organised opposition was increasing the barriers already confronting women and girls, threatening their rights, safety and opportunities.
“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,” she added.
She called for concerted action to prevent further setbacks and protect the gains made in advancing women’s rights.
“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,” Botchwey said.
To address the challenges, the Commonwealth report recommends that governments modernise and enforce laws protecting women and girls, particularly against emerging forms of technology-facilitated violence, while ensuring perpetrators are held accountable.
It also calls for increased investment in girls’ secondary education, digital literacy and artificial intelligence skills to expand women’s access to employment, entrepreneurship and emerging economic opportunities.
Governments are further urged to remove structural barriers to women’s economic participation through investments in childcare services and stronger workplace protections against discrimination and violence.
On climate action, the report recommends integrating gender analysis into national climate policies and ensuring women participate meaningfully in decision-making, with access to dedicated climate financing to support their economic empowerment.
It also calls for sustained and adequate funding for national institutions responsible for advancing gender equality, stronger mechanisms for collecting reliable gender-disaggregated data and increased regional cooperation to share evidence-based solutions.
The report argues that protecting women’s rights and participation is not only essential to achieving gender equality but also critical to economic development, democratic governance, community stability and climate resilience.
It therefore urges Commonwealth member countries to translate existing commitments into sustained action, warning that failure to address organised resistance could reverse progress made over decades in advancing the rights and opportunities of women and girls.
