On 12 May, the International Gender Champions (IGC) Secretariat held its third Espresso for Equality session to address a defining challenge for democratic systems: the coordinated backlash against gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights. The discussion focused on the nature of contemporary anti-gender backlash, its implications for democratic systems, and practical entry points for multilateral actors.
Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) and a Geneva-based Gender Champion, presented key findings from the recent UNRISD and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung report, "Strategic Responses to Backlash Against Gender Justice". Her message: anti-gender mobilisation is not simply a reactive cultural phenomenon, but a well-funded, well-coordinated transnational political project.
The anti-gender backlash, she argued, is an early warning sign of democratic decline, often accompanied by broader authoritarian shifts. As such, attacks on gender justice are not simply consequences of democratic erosion but mechanisms that actively accelerate it. Sepúlveda highlighted how anti-gender narratives exploit economic and social fears to deflect from structural drivers of inequality, such as tax injustice or austerity politics. They gain ground in contexts of economic insecurity, where exclusion fuels political discontent.
Following the expert input, which examined the strategies of anti-gender actors, participants engaged with the concrete recommendations put forward in the report. They discussed the need to shift from reactive defence to proactive agenda-setting, break sectoral silos and embed gender expertise across institutional functions. Priority actions included adapting political narratives to link gender justice with economic growth and stability, strengthen regulation to counter digital radicalisation and secure adequate funding for gender equality initiatives.
The takeaway was unequivocal: Protecting gender equality goes hand in hand with upholding pluralism, strong institutions, and public trust – and Geneva-based actors must take an active role in countering regressive trends.
