The New Global Struggle Over Gender, Rights, and Family Values

Heated political struggles over gender playing out in several regions of the world are more than just isolated or temporary reactions to recent progressive reforms: They are a key front in a larger cultural and political realignment.

Conclusion

The current backlash against gender equality is not just a passing “culture war”—it is a core front in a broader contest over democracy, individual rights, and political power playing out across multiple regions, driven by rapid sociocultural change, ultra-conservative and far-right mobilization, and transnational diffusion. To counter this backlash and secure hard-fought policy gains, this paper argues for responses that are rooted in a commitment to gender justice but also focus on maximizing political effectiveness. To put this approach into practice, advocates should distinguish between staunch opponents to gender equality and persuadable audiences, expand their coalition-building and messaging efforts to reach the latter, invest in locally rooted advocacy strategies, and make men’s and boys’ flourishing and well-being a central goal of the global gender equality movement. As authoritarian and illiberal actors grow more skilled at weaponizing gender, proponents of gender equality must also become more politically astute in how they grow their movement. Their success will depend not just on who is mobilized, but also on who is persuaded.

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The New Global Struggle Over Gender, Rights, and Family Values | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace