Opinion: 2025 is the year to stop playing defense on gender equality

Our sector has long been on the defensive, fighting to hold the line while the rights of girls and women are relentlessly attacked. It’s easy to understand why. In the past three years alone, we’ve seen gender apartheid in Afghanistan that erased two decades of progress. We’ve watched genocide and crimes against humanity unfold in Gaza with girls and women bearing the brunt, met with silence and complicity from many global leaders. In Sudan, girls and women endure the horrors of sexual violence as war’s currency. Now, Donald Trump’s return looms, promising a resurgence of regressive policies that will harm girls and women everywhere. Democracy is faltering, bodily autonomy is under siege, and the future of our planet is at risk. But here’s what I know: if there’s one thing that can transform global development in 2025, it’s our ability to dream bigger. Grief and frustration are real and warranted, but we can’t let them stop us. What we do next, as a diverse global movement for gender equality, will define the future. With only five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals — and the knowledge that we’re falling short — defense alone isn’t enough. We need to lead. Girls and women from the global majority must take the reins in dreaming bigger and crafting a bold new vision for what comes after the SDGs. “For too long, anti-rights forces have framed gender equality as a threat, forcing us to react instead of lead. That ends now.” --— The fight for justice has always required audacity and unyielding determination. During apartheid in South Africa, few believed Nelson Mandela would ever walk free, let alone lead a nation. Yet after 27 years of imprisonment, designed to crush him, he emerged unbroken. Mandela’s resolve — his refusal to accept the world as it was — taught a crucial truth: Progress demands courage and the ability to dream beyond what feels possible. In the face of overwhelming oppression, he and others never stopped imagining freedom. Today’s fight feels just as daunting, but the mission hasn’t changed: We must dream beyond what feels possible and fight for a world where justice and equality are not just our goals but our lived reality. Here’s where we can focus our energy. Reclaim the narrative Narratives don’t just tell stories — they define realities. For too long, anti-rights forces have framed gender equality as a threat, forcing us to react instead of lead. That ends now. Mandela understood the power of narrative, making justice feel inevitable. His words remind us: “With freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.” Feminist movements must follow his lead: Dream bigger, push harder, and reclaim the narrative to inspire belief in a bold vision for justice. Consider the climate crisis. Harmful, racist narratives have long blamed "overpopulation" in low-income countries, unjustly targeting girls’ and women’s bodies. This myth persists in subtler forms today, like tying girls’ education to fertility control as a climate solution while ignoring the real culprits: fossil fuel dependence, resource exploitation, and overconsumption in wealthy nations. Feminist movements are dismantling these myths, exposing systemic failures, and demanding accountability. In 2025, we must lead with justice-driven narratives that confront oppression and drive systemic change. Reclaiming the narrative is about reclaiming power — to shape a future rooted in truth, justice, and equality. Shift power to young people The future belongs to young people, and it’s time to ensure they have the power to shape it. Young advocates are already driving bold, innovative solutions, but their efforts are often sidelined. To truly move forward, we must decisively shift power to them, ensuring they lead in all global spaces where decisions about their bodies, futures, and the world they’ll inherit are made. This generation carries the vision and resilience needed to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to gender-based violence, and we can expect that their voices will only get louder in 2025. By prioritizing their leadership and giving them real control, we can build a world that not only meets their aspirations but secures a better future for everyone. Build collective power No single organization can carry this fight alone. Over the last 15 years, Women Deliver has convened feminist leaders, gender equality advocates, and allies across sectors. Now, we’re pushing deeper, co-creating narratives that not only counter anti-rights rhetoric but build lasting change. Through narrative ideation workshops and collaborative advocacy, we’re laying the groundwork for what comes after the SDGs and we can expect to see more talk of the post-SDG agenda in 2025. Frameworks such as the Generation Equality Forum and Beijing+30 are not the end — they’re stepping stones toward a transformative Post-2030 agenda. 2025 isn’t just another year. It’s a tipping point that will shape global development for decades. We have the vision, the tools, and the collective strength to turn the tide — but only if we dream bigger. This isn’t about playing defense. It’s about rewriting the rules, reshaping oppressive systems designed to preserve the past, and refusing to accept a world where gender equality remains aspirational. Together, we can do more than hold the line — we can move it forward. The road ahead is uncertain, and the challenges will be immense. But if we show up with courage, audacity, and unyielding determination, we can ensure that justice, equality, and dignity are no longer distant aspirations — they become the lived realities of people everywhere.