A story of two conferences: women against women as “Poison of Patriarchy” returns and abortion fight intensified | Global development

IDenise Mountenay on the 27th floor of a Swish Manhattan hotel in a Swish Manhattan Hotel tells the audience that the right to abortion is “Nazi thinking”. Mountenay regrets her own abortions and says that she was called by God to spread the word that she and other women “lied to, deceived and put pressure on the most terrible decision: to choose death instead of life”.

It continues why abortion is “not a safe procedure. [That’s what] You want women to think – that’s a lie. “

Many of their claims, including this abortion, leads to this Breast cancerwere thoroughly refuted by scientific studies. Other claims such as this abortion causes Lifelong psychological health problems It was also shown that infertility is not true if access to abortion is safe and legal. Studies show that refusal to abortion Increases the risk from both.

Mountenay from the Christian forum against abortion is one of many speakers, mainly women to meet the conference on the state of the state Women and family (CSWF) in New York. Over two days, they repeatedly speak of love and respect for women and decipher the global efforts to strengthen women and expand their rights. They repeat their attitude against abortion under all circumstances, including gang rape, and motherhood as the ultimate role for women.

Sponsored by four leading US organizations, including the Heritage Foundation – Architect of Project 2025 – And C-family – denotes a hate group of the Southern Poverty Law Center -CSWF is an opportunity for conservative heavyweights and activists against abortions to reaffirm their opposition to the “gender -specific ideology” and to exercise their complaints about the perceived attack on conservative values. LGBTQ rights that Pandemic contractComprehensive sex education and “left madness” on the US College Campus are kept as examples of corruption of secular ideologies.

Trump’s snowstorm from Executive Orders, including the claim that “There are only two genders“, Felt like” Christmas for several days in a row “, says Jay W. Richards, director of Richard and Helen Devos Center for Life and Fellow The Heritage Foundation. “Suddenly it’s a new day – these are the good news; the bad news is that the fight is not over yet.”

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ANTI-right actors are nothing new. But the wildness of the attack – and the scale of the current counter reactions against the rights of women send a chills by right -back, which makes urgency for the demand for a united reaction.

A minute on foot from the CSWF meeting, the 69th Commission on the status of women (CSW) takes place at the same time to the United Nations headquarters. This annual meeting aims to deal with the widespread inequalities, violence and discrimination against women worldwide.

UN General Secretary António Guterres opens the conference with A Red alarm: “The poison of the patriarchy is back – and it is back with revenge: to hit the brakes on action; open progress and mutate into new and dangerous shapes.”

His warning that hard -won profits will be thrown into the back follows a A shift The report revealed that each of four countries in 2024 reported a counter reaction to gender equality. On the basis of a review of progress by 159 Member States, the report attributes the rollback to crises, including weakening the democratic institutions, covid, climate and conflicts. However, the key role is determined by anti-right actors who “actively undermine the long-term consensus on important questions of women’s rights. Wherever they cannot attribute legal and political profits, they try to block or slow down their implementation”.

At the beginning of this month, Oxfam released his own Evaluation Of the damage caused by anti-rights groups: “A number of right-wing, religious and conservative actors around the world use persistent crises to use state power to adapt to a new adaptation of racist and sexist, which are rich, privileges and damage values ​​and damage values, and LGBTQIA+ people with traditional and hammering value and LGBTQIA+ people and people and LGBTQIA+ Menschen to reorient.

Many of the events that take place at the United Nations deal with the threat of anti-rights groups. In a session named Feminism for the Win: Strategies to defy and defeat anti-feminist movements, speak of the rise of the “chainsaw male” and the “fast authoritarian transformation”. Marta Lempart, the activist who led the Poland strikes of women, grimly realizes “The Alpha man is back in the city”.

The anti-right movement is also available at the United Nations. In one Q&A Liana Gordon, a youth delegation of the Canadian coalition of the anti-abortation organization Campaign Life, the committee asks: “You speak of women’s rights, but what about the right of the unborn child?”

The question rages Lempart. “Whenever someone says the rights of women But … or human rights But … ‘It’s bullshit … I hate these boys and I say that loudly. You have to fight, insult you, do all the things you shouldn’t do. You have to speak how you feel. “It is an answer that delights Gordon, which she later forwards them to her Colleagues anti-abdominal activists. “Last year I did not see this type of emotional reaction at least at this level. It confirmed that we will win,” says Gordon. “I have a message for Marta: You may hate me, but we love you.”

To record challenging participants and oxygen in discussions is a key strategy For anti-right groups at CSW. After Nelly Munyasia took part in a panel discussion from the Network Kenya Reproductive Health Network, it remembers that a flyer has incorrectly found that abortion is not legal in any country. “At first I was not afraid and then it hit me that this was that [anti-abortion] Movement is more daring, braver and does everything you can do to convey your message. “

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OOn the first day of the CSW, the Member States passed a political statement in which they confirm their commitment to respect, protection and advocate rights, equality and empowerment of women and girls. Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, calls the explanation “A unity of unity for all women and girls, everywhere … at a time when hard -fought gains for gender equality are attacked.”

The US government refuses to support However, leading health and right groups such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) welcomes international solidarity and support for the human rights of women and girls.

However, the explanation has a real omission: while sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) part of A goods Declaration of design Published in January, there is no mention in the final agreement. IPPF believes the lack of Srhr, A Eck pillars of equality between women and sustainable developmentweakens the area of ​​the text considerably.

Thirty years ago, Srhr was included in the 12 critical areas that are covered by which Historical explanation of Beijing in 1995A political framework that is still seen as a blueprint for gender equality and justice. Since then it has often been a point of contention in international forums, but the 2024 agreement recognized “The need to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning, information and education”. The omission this year is regarded by global interest groups and research centers as another effect of the increasingly enemy environment.

“This year negotiators did not feel that they could continue to fight [those rights] So let go – because [otherwise] The negotiations would fall to the crash. Many of us find this deeply disappointing, ”says Beth Schlachter, Senior Director of the US outdoor relationships at MSI Reproductive Choices.

Schlachter’s colleague, Bethan Cobley, director of external affairs and partnerships, adds that the lack of a language around Srhr has global effects: “These words create the global normative framework in the countries in which we operate. Countries take this language and use their national politics – it is extremely important.”

The environment of extreme hostility has numerous adverse effects on health service providers who try to provide services for communities across Kenya, says Munyasia. “We come from a continent where the abortion is still considered taboo – you can imagine what work we have done to show women [they can have a safe abortion]. Now we see disinformation that contribute to stigmatization and fear women who are called murderers. “

Munyasia was bothered on social media and had to remove signs from reproduction Health Network Kenya Offices and even offices; The call center that executes was reported to the authorities. The organization has also recorded an increase in police supply providers – it has documented 28 arrests from health service providers and its patients in the past two years.

It is alarmed by the view of the Pan African conference on family values In Nairobi in May the atmosphere of fear and distrust in women who use reproductive health services is increased.

The worst part of it, says Munyisia, is that relentless attacks in combination with auxiliary cuts prevent women and girls from accessing contraceptives, and a safe abortion leads to unplanned, undesirable pregnancies, an increase in HIV infections and to death in mothers.

“It will be messy unless we have donors who can step to mitigate this,” she says. “What the heart breaks me is that endangered women and girls will suffer in the global south.”

Back at CSWF, a delegate from Liberia asks a panel that could support young women who were condemned with a gang.

“Pray”, the answer comes.