Mon, Sep 29, 2025 page7

• The high cost of defunding women’s organizations

  • By Suyen Barahona
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  As a feminist activist and human-rights advocate, I have spent more than two decades fighting for democracy and justice in Nicaragua, long ruled by a brutal dictatorship. Because of my activism, I was abducted from my home in 2021 during a government crackdown, illegally detained and held in solitary confinement for 606 days. Later, along with 221 other political prisoners, I was deported, stripped of my citizenship and removed from the national civil registry.

  My story, sadly, is not unique. Countless women’s rights activists and feminist organizers around the world have endured similar persecution. Still, in the face of relentless attacks on their rights and freedoms, they have continued to mobilize in extraordinary ways: building underground networks, coordinating protests, forming peace coalitions, documenting atrocities and boldly fighting for more inclusive societies.

  This leadership is critical at a time when democratic freedoms and values are coming under attack worldwide and women’s political leadership is stagnating. Global freedom declined for the 19th consecutive year since 2006, and more than 75 percent of the world’s population now lives in countries where political rights are restricted — the highest share in a quarter-century.

  The erosion of democratic institutions has accelerated in the past few years. In the US, for example, voting rights have been rolled back, press freedoms undermined, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs shut down. In Turkey, protests have been violently suppressed and political opponents imprisoned, and in Hungary, civil society and independent media have faced systematic repression.

  It is no coincidence that a global backlash against gender equality is unfolding alongside the rise of anti-democratic forces. Feminist activists have long been at the forefront of democratic resistance, defending not only women’s rights, but the civic space that allows all citizens to demand justice and dignity. That is why they are often among the first to be targeted by regimes seeking to silence dissent, avoid accountability and restrict basic freedoms.

  Nicaragua offers a stark example. One of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s first actions upon returning to power in 2007 was to crack down on feminist and progressive movements that opposed him. Vilified as “imperialist enemies,” these organizations were increasingly regulated and criminalized, while their funding pipelines were systematically attacked. In 2008, several prominent women’s rights organizations and feminist networks were accused of “money laundering” and “subversion of the constitutional order.”

  The campaign to undermine civil society has accelerated Nicaragua’s descent into dictatorship. In 2018, brutal crackdowns on anti-government protests killed more than 350 people. Since then, over 2,090 activists have been imprisoned, with many reporting horrific torture. Meanwhile, 5,500 civil-society organizations, 61 independent media outlets and 27 private universities have been shut down. Hundreds of feminists, movement leaders, religious figures, political leaders and journalists now live in exile, and about 12 percent of the population has fled the country.

  One of the key lessons from the dismantling of Nicaraguan democracy is that the vital work of women’s movements cannot be sustained without consistent support and sufficient resources. New research from Equal Measures 2030 and the Alliance for Feminist Movements shows what happens when these organizations are neglected, underfunded or actively repressed. In Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Turkey and Zimbabwe, basic freedoms have been curtailed, civic space has eroded and broader reforms to promote economic inclusion have been blocked.

  While increased funding alone cannot solve these challenges, it is crucial. Yet despite the proven track record of women’s rights organizations, just 0.2 percent of international aid funding reaches them. And the situation is set to worsen, as eight major donor countries — once champions of gender equality — have recently announced more than US$17.2 billion in aid cuts over the next five years.

  As funding becomes increasingly scarce, these organizations’ political influence has eroded. Starved of resources, they are forced to rely on short-term, donor-driven projects that address only the symptoms of democratic decline, rather than enabling the sustained advocacy required to achieve lasting change.

  When women’s rights organizations are sidelined, accountability falters, and those in power escape scrutiny. This is evident in the four increasingly authoritarian countries studied by Equal Measures 2030, all of which scored “poor” or “very poor” on key gender-equality indicators.

  Given the stakes, the international community must help to ensure that women in the global south — especially those from historically marginalized communities — are effectively represented. What is needed is not tokenism, but real decisionmaking power.

  Given the challenges we face, those who are committed to gender equality must adopt a more strategic approach that recognizes women’s rights and leadership as indispensable to democracy, sustainable development, and peace. As feminist movements put themselves in the crosshairs of repressive regimes, we must use every tool at our disposal to enable them to continue fighting for our shared freedoms.

  Suyen Barahona, executive director of the Colmena Fund, is a former president of Nicaragua’s UNAMOS party.
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