Aid cuts shutdown or suspend one in three women’s anti-violence programmes – UN News

Report on Funding Deficits Hindering Progress on Sustainable Development Goals for Gender Equality

Introduction: The “At Risk and Underfunded” Analysis

A global survey of 428 women’s rights and civil society organizations, detailed in the UN Women report At Risk and Underfunded, reveals critical funding shortfalls that directly threaten the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Erosion of Services Jeopardizes SDG 5: Gender Equality

Direct Impact on SDG Target 5.2

The report indicates a severe regression in efforts to meet SDG Target 5.2, which calls for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. The funding crisis has led to a tangible reduction in essential services.

• Program Suspension: One in three surveyed organizations have been forced to suspend or completely shut down programs aimed at ending gender-based violence.
• Closure of Essential Services: Over 40 percent have scaled back or closed critical support systems, including shelters, legal aid, and psychosocial and healthcare support for survivors.
• Reduced Access for Survivors: Nearly 80 percent of organizations reported diminished access to services for survivors of violence.

These developments undermine decades of progress and conflict with global commitments to protect the 736 million women who have experienced physical or sexual violence.

Implications for SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Weakening Rule of Law and Access to Justice

The operational challenges faced by these organizations have significant consequences for SDG 16, which aims to promote just, peaceful, and inclusive societies.

1. Increased Impunity: 59 percent of respondents noted that impunity for perpetrators and the normalization of violence were increasing, a direct contradiction of SDG Target 16.3 (Promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice).
2. Threats to Human Rights Defenders: Over half of the organizations voiced serious concern about rising threats to women human rights defenders, who are essential for building strong and just institutions.

Systemic Threats to the 2030 Agenda

Financial Instability and Long-Term Viability

The report presents a grim prognosis for the sustainability of civil society’s role in advancing the SDGs, highlighting a failure in partnerships for the goals (SDG 17).

• Operational Horizon: Only 5 percent of surveyed organizations stated they could sustain operations for more than two years.
• Legislative Setbacks: A vast majority (85 percent) predicted severe setbacks to laws and protections for women and girls, undermining SDG Target 5.c (Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for gender equality).
• Forced Prioritization: The funding crisis forces many groups to prioritize emergency services over the long-term advocacy required to drive systemic change and achieve the 2030 Agenda.

This financial shortfall is occurring within a broader context of a backlash against women’s rights, evident in one in four countries, further imperiling the foundational principles of the SDGs.

Conclusion and Call to Action for SDG Realization

The findings of At Risk and Underfunded serve as a stark warning that without sustained and flexible investment in women’s rights organizations, progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals will not only stall but reverse. Achieving the targets set forth in the 2030 Agenda and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action requires immediate and decisive action.

Recommendations

• Governments and donors must ringfence and expand funding dedicated to ending violence against women and girls to meet SDG 5.
• Funding mechanisms must be made more flexible to support both immediate service provision and long-term advocacy for systemic change.
• Renewed commitment to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) is essential to ensure that civil society organizations, the backbone of progress, are adequately resourced to fulfill their critical role.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article primarily addresses issues related to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

   • SDG 5: Gender Equality: This is the central theme of the article. It directly discusses the prevalence of gender-based violence, the closure of programs aimed at ending it, and the broader backlash against women’s rights. The report cited, “At Risk and Underfunded,” focuses on the challenges faced by women’s rights organizations, which are crucial for achieving gender equality.
   • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article highlights the critical role of funding and partnerships. The core problem identified is that women’s rights and civil society groups are “underfunded,” leading to the suspension of essential services. The call for “governments and donors to ringfence, expand and make funding more flexible” directly relates to strengthening partnerships and financial commitments between public bodies, donors, and civil society to achieve sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the article’s content, the following specific targets can be identified:

   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres. The article is explicitly about the challenges in ending gender-based violence. It states that “one in three [women’s rights groups] have suspended or shut down programmes aimed at ending gender-based violence” and that “Violence against women remains one of the world’s most pervasive human rights violations.”
   • Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality. The article warns of regression in this area, noting that “85 per cent [of surveyed organisations] predicted severe setbacks to laws and protections for women and girls.” This highlights the importance of strengthening policies and the threat posed by underfunding the advocacy groups that push for them.
   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The entire article is a case study of the breakdown in resourcing for civil society partnerships. The finding that “More than 40 per cent have scaled back or closed essential services… due to immediate funding shortfalls” demonstrates a failure in the resourcing strategies of these partnerships. The call for “sustained investment” is a direct appeal to strengthen these collaborations.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Yes, the article mentions and implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress:

   • Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner. The article directly cites data relevant to this indicator, stating, “Around 736 million women – nearly one in three – have experienced physical or sexual violence, most often by an intimate partner, according to UN Women data.” This statistic is a direct measure of the prevalence of violence.
   • Indicator 5.c.1: Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment. This indicator is strongly implied. The core issue of the article is that women’s rights organizations are “underfunded.” The call for governments and donors to “ringfence, expand and make funding more flexible” presupposes a need for systems to track and manage these financial allocations for gender equality initiatives. The lack of funding suggests these systems are either inadequate or not being utilized effectively.
   • Indicator 17.17.1: Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships. This indicator is also implied by the article’s central theme. The report’s title, “At Risk and Underfunded,” and findings that organizations are shutting down due to “immediate funding shortfalls” directly relate to the amount of financial resources committed to these civil society partnerships. Measuring the flow of funds to these groups is essential to addressing the problem highlighted.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators
   SDG 5: Gender Equality	Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls.	Indicator 5.2.1 (Mentioned): The article cites that “Around 736 million women – nearly one in three – have experienced physical or sexual violence, most often by an intimate partner.”
   SDG 5: Gender Equality	Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for gender equality.	Indicator 5.c.1 (Implied): The discussion of underfunding and the call to “ringfence, expand and make funding more flexible” implies the need for systems to track public allocations for gender equality.
   SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals	Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.	Indicator 17.17.1 (Implied): The report’s focus on organizations being “underfunded” and facing “funding shortfalls” directly relates to the amount of financial commitment to civil society partnerships.

Source: news.un.org