A rising anti-rights movement poses a growing threat to undoing the progress made in addressing sexual and other forms of gender-based violence worldwide, experts say.
The issue comes to the forefront ahead of the "16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence," beginning Monday, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The campaign ends on December 10 with the celebration of Human Rights Day.
According to UN Women, 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their lives (30% of women aged 15 and older). This figure excludes incidents of sexual harassment.
The situation in Bangladesh is also grim. According to ActionAid Bangladesh's 2022 survey, 63.51% of women have experienced some form of violence.
Women who have experienced violence are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV, with long-lasting consequences.
Governments worldwide have pledged to uphold gender equality and human rights by endorsing various declarations, agreements, and commitments, including the legally binding CEDAW treaty in 1979 (the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women), the ICPD in 1994 (International Conference on Population and Development and its Programme of Action), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, among others.
The year 2025 will mark 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action in 1995.
"But the rising anti-rights movement threatens to undo the progress made in addressing gender-based violence," said Shobha Shukla, coordinator of the SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity and Rights) initiative, during a webinar.
She said that governments must safeguard progress on gender equality and human rights from the dangers posed by the anti-rights push of the Geneva Consensus Declaration.
"The Geneva Consensus Declaration takes an anti-rights stance by refusing to recognize abortion as a human right and aims to undermine sexual and reproductive rights," she said.
"The right to abortion grants women long-overdue bodily self-determination, allowing them to decide if and when to have children. Denying this fundamental right increases vulnerability to violence. Unplanned pregnancies and childbirth reduce women’s socio-economic status, making them more susceptible to abuse. An unintended pregnancy particularly raises the likelihood of intimate partner violence."
“When the PACT for the Future was adopted at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2024, alarmingly, over 30 countries endorsing it were also signatories to the regressive and anti-rights Geneva Consensus Declaration,” said Menka Goundan, program director at ARROW (Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women).
"We often fail to highlight how the 'PACT for the Future' faces threats from declarations like the Geneva Consensus Declaration, which impede its progressive implementation," Menka added.
“The Geneva Consensus Declaration is regressive and anti-abortion in its framework, as it allows governments to hide behind the principle of 'sovereignty' and evade their obligation to enact sexual and reproductive rights for women. This represents a significant step backward in ensuring women’s autonomy over their sexual and reproductive health,” said Menka.
Kavutha Mutua, advocate at the High Court of Kenya and founder-director of The Legal Caravan, said: "Contradictory policies like the Geneva Consensus Declaration conflict with local laws."
“For instance, Kenya—whose constitution provides for the right to access abortion services—has signed the regressive Geneva Consensus Declaration. Moreover, campaigns led by African First Ladies are encouraging countries to sign this declaration, which contradicts our local laws. Africa needs to prioritize removing legal and policy barriers to accessing safe abortion services and contraceptives.”
The 16 Days of Activism offer an opportunity to revitalize commitments and demand accountability and action from decision-makers. The campaign’s tagline is: “No excuse. End violence against women and girls.”
