04
November 2026
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’
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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.
Notes:
- The Commonwealth is a
voluntary association of 56 independent and equal sovereign
states. Our combined population is 2.7 billion, of which
more than 60 per cent is aged 29 or under. - The
Commonwealth spans the globe and includes both advanced
economies and developing countries. Thirty-three of our
members are small states, many of which are island
nations. - The Commonwealth Secretariat supports
member countries to build democratic and inclusive
institutions, strengthen governance and promote justice and
human rights. Our work helps to grow economies and boost
trade, deliver national resilience, empower young people,
and address threats such as climate change, debt and
inequality. - Member countries are supported by a
network of more than 80 intergovernmental, civil society,
cultural and professional
organisations.
