The backlash against women’s and LGBTQI+ rights is growing – part of an organised movement that goes beyond one country or one president.
But there are also ways to push back, says Saskia Brechenmacher, senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
The Trump administration’s explicit targeting of gender and diversity-related programming is no isolated incident, but part of a global push to reverse gains in equality and norms, Brechenmacher says on the latest episode of the Rethinking Humanitarianism podcast: “What were previously disparate movements, disparate ideas in different regions, they've come together in a more unified manner.”
Her recent writing examines regressive policies enacted in various countries to limit LGBTQI+ and women’s rights, and the factors contributing to this backslide – including the greater connections between conservative and religious organisations, the perception of threats against “traditional family values” and masculinity, as well as progressive groups’ failure to find the right messaging.
But as Brechenmacher tells host Tammam Aloudat, there are also actionable steps that concerned people – including civil society and non-governmental organisations – can take to counter the threats.
Guests:
Saskia Brechenmacher, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program
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