CIVICUS discusses civil society’s efforts to advance gender rights at the global level with Foteini Papagioti, Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women, an international civil society organisation that advocates for the rights of women, girls and other structurally excluded groups.

Between 14 and 23 July, the United Nations (UN) High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) is convening in New York to review progress on several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG5 on gender equality. With conservative backlash mounting and major donors such as the USA reducing funding, directly threatening progress on gender equality goals, civil society continues to play a vital role in pushing for inclusion and accountability.

What’s the HLPF and how does it address gender equality?

The HLPF serves as the main UN platform for reviewing progress on the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs. Established in 2012, it meets every July under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council, bringing together ministers, high-level officials, experts and civil society for eight days of discussions.

Each year, the HLPF selects a theme and reviews specific goals. This year’s forum focuses on sustainable and inclusive evidence-based and science-based solutions, examining SDGs 3 (health), 5 (gender equality), 8 (decent work), 14 (life below water) and 17 (partnerships). SGD17 is reviewed every year, as it covers the means of implementation, including financing and technology transfer.

Central to the HLPF are Voluntary National Reviews, where countries report on their SDG progress. This year, 37 countries are presenting their findings. Civil society and other states then provide brief responses, creating space for recognition and accountability. The forum concludes with a negotiated ministerial declaration, which reaffirms commitments, outlines priorities and highlights challenges.

Despite gender equality being a cross-cutting issue across all goals, SDG5 is not reviewed annually and gender concerns are often marginalised in discussions of other goals. Current progress assessments, drawn from the UN Secretary-General’s annual SDG report and UN Women’s Gender Snapshot, reveal sobering realities: almost half of all SDG targets show minimal or no progress, while 18 per cent have regressed. The 2024 Gender Snapshot shows that no SDG5 indicators have been met or nearly met: eight are approaching their targets, four are far off track and four lack sufficient data.

Feminist civil society, primarily through the Women’s Major Group (WMG), plays a central role at the HLPF. The WMG unites feminist organisations and movements to produce annual position papers and interventions that reflect lived realities, beyond what data alone can show. These efforts expose the real impact of government inaction and highlight ongoing feminist resistance, even under violence and repression.

The feminist movement’s message is clear: there will be no progress without political will and accountability. Constantly chasing ‘innovative’ solutions distracts from what we already know works. It’s time to stop the hypocrisy. With just five years left, real change is still possible – but only if those in power reflect honestly, take responsibility and fulfil their obligations.

How are funding cuts undermining gender equality progress?

This year’s HLPF follows the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD), held in Seville, Spain from 30 June to 3 July. Despite months of tense negotiations, this conference failed to meaningfully address the global debt crisis, rising borrowing costs and the decline of international public finance, including climate finance and official development assistance.

In this challenging context, funding for gender equality and women’s rights – already scarce, despite slowly increasing over the past decade – is now under serious threat. In many countries, cuts are being justified by increased defence spending or through appeals to nationalism and so-called ‘traditional values’ that frame gender equality as part of a foreign or ‘woke’ agenda.

Early research confirms these funding cuts are already harming women and girls and putting feminist organisations at risk of disappearing. Yet there are reasons for hope. New allies are stepping up, longstanding partners are reaffirming their commitments and collaborative efforts to protect gender equality financing are growing – even within shrinking budgets.

Civil society is pushing back. Ahead of the FfD conference, the WMG and the Feminist Workstream of the FfD Civil Society Mechanism organised webinars and a Feminist Forum in Seville. A feminist declaration was the outcome of these proceedings, formally launched during the Forum.

How is civil society maintaining momentum on gender equality?

Civil society has always been the driving force keeping gender equality on the global agenda through advocacy, mobilisation, coalition-building and sustained engagement with multilateral institutions. For example, to build on the momentum of FfD, the Walking the Talk consortium will be hosting the upcoming Financing for Feminist Futures Conference, which will bring together people working to fund feminist movements in today’s increasingly hostile environment.

Currently, however, we are facing growing attacks from reactionary political, economic and cultural forces determined to roll back hard-won rights. At the same time, feminist civil society is being told to moderate its approach: to be less critical, less ambitious, less demanding. This strategy will not work. Worse, some senior UN leaders – including the self-proclaimed feminist Secretary-General – are abandoning gender equality under the guise of efficiency.

Of course, at a time when the UN faces a liquidity crisis, cutting junior gender adviser posts won’t fix the budget. What it does is send a strong signal: those with the least power will be the first to be cut. Unfortunately, few within the system are pushing back against this.

This context makes this year’s 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action for gender equality all the more significant. The silence from global leaders is deafening. Feminist movements deserve solidarity – not scapegoating – from those who claim to stand for rights and equality.

What leadership qualities should the next UN Secretary-General have to advance gender equality?

It’s long past time for a woman to lead the UN, particularly given the calibre of women who have worked within the system. However, in today’s polarised global context, the failure of one woman leader can be weaponised against all women. Many women in leadership are prepared for that risk, but it remains real.

I’m also concerned about women who use feminist language while advancing harmful policies. This is already happening in multilateral institutions.

Ultimately, what matters most in a UN leader, regardless of gender, is having a backbone and a strong voice. We need a feminist leader who will defend what women have fought for over decades, who can stand with people resisting genocide, inequality and oppression, and with a vision of equality that goes beyond putting people like them in charge.