Unity Matters: A Critical Conversation on Defending our Bodies and our Rights
This candid conversation between Dr. Maliha Khan, President and CEO of Women Deliver, and Ms. Glory Kathambi, Head of Programs and Advocacy at SRHR Alliance Kenya, underscores the urgent need for unity and solidarity in the feminist movement to confront anti-rights actors worldwide who are working together and in close coordination to limit girls’ and women’s bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The discussion emphasizes that our response must be as persistent and united as the threats we face. It highlights the vital role of collective action, not just to resist, but to push back effectively and advance our shared goal: a future where everyone has full control over their bodies and their lives.
Maliha’s question: What is the impact of anti-rights actors on feminist movements, particularly at the local level, where girls and women confront daily struggles for bodily autonomy and SRHR?
Glory’s answer: This question makes me think hard about how the push-and-pull from anti-rights movements makes us forget to celebrate our wins.
The biggest challenge is the misinformation and disinformation propagated by anti-rights actors, which shifts the focus of women’s issues from human rights to moral debates.
This has led to setbacks in legal and policy advancements aimed at addressing unmet sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) needs. For instance, despite Kenya’s legal frameworks against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), girls still suffer due to anti-rights actors framing the issue as cultural respect, denying women and girls their bodily autonomy. When women and girls can’t access pertinent services like contraceptives, safe abortion, and menstrual hygiene products, their overall life outcomes are drastically affected. Without SRHR information and services, women and girls can’t participate in society and often end up trapped in cycles of poverty and abuse, affecting their potential. Anti-rights actors are often the propellers of stigma and discrimination that we have seen in turn result in mental health issues and even suicides. In this fight, feminist movements have suffered the most, from targeted assaults and violence to burnout and mental breakdowns. However, we continue to be resilient and hold onto our feminist solidarity as we counter the misinformation and disinformation, and work to create a safer and more equitable society.
Glory’s question: At the Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD2023), Women Deliver was directly and publicly confronted by an anti-rights actor: Katalin Novák, former President of Hungary. How did (or didn’t) Women Deliver manage this situation, and what lessons can the organization and feminist movement bring forward to counter the infiltration of anti-rights actors in global spaces for gender equality more effectively?
Maliha’s answer: Thank you for bringing up a question that’s been on many people’s minds. The situation with Katalin Novák at WD2023 was a stark reminder of the political maneuvering that can undermine our mission. Despite numerous frank and honest conversations with the Rwandan government to express that her presence on the main stage was not aligned with our values, the government insisted on her participation in the Conference’s opening ceremony and as they were the host country, there was little we could do other than jeopardize the entire Conference. Experts familiar with Novák and her tactics advised us that blocking her participation would strengthen her narrative of victimization, and that there was nothing we could do if the Rwandan government was set on providing her with a platform. This situation illustrates how global spaces — critical arenas for forging norms, standards, and commitments to tackle global challenges — are always contested. Different sides will inevitably try to control them to push their narratives.
I want to be brutally honest: we mishandled our communication about this situation. I deeply apologize again to everyone present, both in person and online, and especially to the Hungarian activists who were profoundly affected by Novak’s presence and statements. In hindsight, we could have done a better job communicating to Conference delegates in advance so that people were warned and could have boycotted the opening ceremony. Listing Novák on the public schedule wasn’t enough.
This incident has been a significant learning experience. As a feminist movement, we must unite to protect global spaces from those who falsely assert that rights, bodily autonomy, and integrity of girls, women, and gender or sexual minorities are incompatible with family, religion, security, or nationhood. We must come together and focus on countering the powerful, well-funded, global anti-rights movement exploiting our divisions.
The Novák incident taught us the importance of proactive communication with our partners and showed us that we are just as vulnerable as anyone else. We need to educate ourselves about anti-rights actors and their tactics and work closely with our partners to counter them effectively.
We can’t let our differences tear us apart — that’s exactly what anti-rights actors want. We are all at risk, and internal division only weakens us when unity is most vital.
We don’t have to agree on everything, but we must advance effective collective action against those who co-opt progressive spaces and weaponize once-progressive norms for regressive agendas. The bodily autonomy and human rights of girls and women everywhere — and, by extension, the essence of democracy — is at stake.
Maliha’s question: What tangible steps can we take to build a stronger, more inclusive movement for bodily autonomy, SRHR, and ultimately, gender equality in the face of challenges posed by anti-rights actors.
Glory’s answer: To build a stronger and more inclusive movement, we must be ready to rapidly counter any challenges by anti-rights actors. This can be done by ensuring we effectively communicate and hold ourselves accountable in all situations. We have the capacity to counter anti-rights agendas and narratives, but only if we leverage our solidarity. I constantly remind myself that we cannot win alone. We need allies like men and boys in their diversity in our court, we need to keep building the capacity of girls and women in their diversity in knowing their rights and speaking out to build a gender-just society. We must trust each other and develop our culture in line with our needs, struggles, and capabilities. Funding has now become a main issue where we mostly do not have flexible funding that we can utilize in times of emergency attacks, especially in catering to our legal needs and advancing legal frameworks rapidly when needed. This has caused infiltration by anti-rights into our spaces leaving us with no seats at the table. We cannot give up, because if we do, we will never again have an equal measure of the piece of the world like we have now. We don’t agonize, we organize.
Glory’s Question: How is Women Deliver leveraging global spaces, including Women Deliver Conferences, to support the feminist movement in countering the growing influence of anti-rights actors?
Maliha’s Answer: Everything we do is driven by the goal of shifting power to feminists and feminist movements from the global majority, especially adolescent girls. Their voices must be heard and centered wherever decisions affecting their lives are made. We’re committed to listening, being accountable, and constantly reflecting on our actions. This means always working to embody what it means to be a feminist, anti-racist, and anti-colonial organization, and adapting based on what we hear and learn.
We’re working closely with our partners to strengthen existing global spaces, like the upcoming UN General Assembly and UN Climate Change Conference, from those who want to control girls’ and women’s bodies and lives. Our focus is on securing and advancing the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of girls and women during the most critical period of their lives; adolescence. At the same time, we’re creating new spaces for the feminist movement to unite, identify urgent priorities, counter anti-rights actors, share best practices, forge new alliances, advocate for change, and sustain momentum on critical issues.
Existing global spaces and those we are creating, including Women Deliver Conferences, are crucial for shaping a progressive post-2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
We need moments to come together, to fully and effectively engage and support the traditionally ignored and marginalized voices that are the heart of our movement, to safeguard past gains and drive visionary change on gender equality. The stakes are high, and we can’t afford to wait.
The opportunity to mobilize support for gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights is now. 2024 has already shown us the power of collective action and could herald the largest act of participatory democracy in history, with more than 50 countries holding elections that will affect the fates of billions of people. Although it sometimes feels like our progress is matched by setbacks, WD2023 reminded me that our collective future is also filled with hope and possibility. We’re committed to evolving and learning from both our successes and mistakes to better reflect the needs of girls and women worldwide. Protecting and using global spaces like the Women Deliver Conference is vital for strengthening the feminist movement before, during, and after key moments for change.
