ILC's collaboration with Sheffield University gives students the opportunity to get to know ILC members and gives ILC the advantage of ‘’fresh eyes’’ to examine ILC work areas. In 2026, the Gender Justice team hosted Ren McMullen and Shaafi Yalahow. They explored gender perspectives through dedicated interviews with key informants and regional experts from ILC's membership.
On 8 June 2026, ILC Gender Experts Network discussed through a virtual session one of the most pressing challenges to equality: the growing rise of political, religious, and cultural fundamentalisms as a backlash against gender justice and women’s rights. The session provided a space for solidarity and collective reflection, with the aim of shaping the network’s position on defending women’s rights in an increasingly hostile global climate.
Opening the meeting in a sombre but determined tone, Elisabetta Cangelosi, Gender Justice Advisor at the ILC, reflected on the current global context: “We all know we live in harsh times for gender justice and women’s rights, marked by shrinking civic spaces and budget cuts.”
What is the ILC Gender Expert Network?
An informal platform designed to foster knowledge-sharing among gender experts, the Network seeks to elevate gender issues within the wider ILC network by sharing good practices, strengthening collaboration, and supporting advocates in solidarity.
At the heart of this work is the ILC’s official definition of Gender Justice: a state where all genders enjoy equal rights, actively participate in decision-making, and where the gendered impacts of policies and laws are fully recognised and addressed. While gender injustice disproportionately affects women and girls, the network emphasises that achieving gender justice benefits society as a whole.
The Core Threat: Deconstructing Fundamentalisms
As proposed by Raquel Reynoso Rosales of the Asociación Servicios Educativos Rurales in Peru, the central focus was to explore how fundamentalist ideologies undermine this vision of justice. Whether expressed through political movements, religious doctrines, or exclusionary cultural narratives, these ideologies can erode women’s autonomy, limit their participation in decision-making, and restrict their access to land and resources.
The discussion also highlighted important regional dynamics. Across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Khalid Khawaldeh from the Dana Cooperative in Jordan identified a significant strategic challenge: local actors frequently portray gender equality as a “foreign construct” imposed from outside local communities.
Gabriela Vázquez of Fundación Entretantos in Spain and Raquel Reynoso Rosales echoed this concern, noting how regressive narratives are often presented under the banner of cultural preservation. To counter this framing, participants stressed that gender justice must be grounded in local values, community resilience, and existing constitutional rights, demonstrating that equality is compatible with diverse cultural contexts rather than imposed upon them.
Shifting Social Norms: Civic Education and Youth
Overcoming these structural barriers requires grassroots mobilisation and strong regional solidarity. Shanjida Khan Ripa from the Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) in Bangladesh argued that critical thinking and civic education are essential safeguards against manipulation and misinformation.
“Critical thinking and civic education are very important,” Ripa emphasised. “Many young people adopt contradictory views because they consume political ideas without deep reflection.”
She called on schools, universities, and youth spaces to actively promote human rights, gender equality, and constitutional values while emphasising that women’s organisations must stand together to transform entrenched social norms.
This commitment to long-term social change is already being translated into practice in Malawi. Moses Nkhana, from the Mzimba Youth Organisation (MYO), explained how his organisation approaches gender equality not as a standalone objective but as a foundation for sustainable community development:
“At Mzimba Youth Organisation, we firmly believe that gender equality is not a women's issue alone but a shared responsibility that requires the active participation of women, men, girls, and boys. MYO promotes gender equality by engaging entire communities, including traditional leaders, youth, women, men, and local institutions, to challenge harmful norms and practices that perpetuate inequality.”
A Shared Responsibility: Positive Masculinity
Participants also agreed that responding to shrinking civic spaces requires broadening the coalition of allies. Chinwike Okereke from the African Law Foundation (AFRILAW) in Nigeria highlighted the importance of positive masculinity, demonstrating how engaging men and boys as partners can strengthen gender justice movements.
By involving men in conversations about equality and illustrating the wider social and economic benefits of women’s rights, advocacy organisations encourage traditional gatekeepers to become active supporters, challenging harmful norms and building more resilient communities.
Looking Ahead
Bringing together a global group of gender experts the meeting provided a collaborative space to strengthen collective responses to rising fundamentalisms. The insights and experiences shared during the discussion will inform the ILC Gender Expert Network’s ongoing work and its collective positioning on these issues.
By fostering dialogue across regions and lived experiences, the Gender Expert Network continues to strengthen collective strategies for defending women’s rights and advancing gender justice. As these conversations evolve, the next expert meeting, scheduled for September 2026, will provide another opportunity to deepen solidarity, exchange knowledge, and build shared action in an increasingly challenging global context.
FAO launches global initiative to strengthen land tenure governance
2 June 2026
Read More
