As part of our “Where’s the Justice?” campaign marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, we spoke with Debanjana Choudhuri, Executive Director, Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR). In this interview, Debanjana discusses important progress made, urgent setbacks faced, and the real impact funding cuts have on achieving gender equality.

1. What has been the biggest improvement in gender justice over the past 30 years?

Feminists and activists in the past have paved the way for a lot of us to be vocal and bold in our demands.

We are standing strong on the proud and strong legacy of activists built over the past 30 years.

A change that I see from then to now is bigger and bolder voices across gender diversities making ourselves clear on how we want our rights, and we want our rights now.

Earlier, conversations on gender rights had to be camouflaged and layered in other ‘acceptable’ language, but with relentless efforts from activists, we now are able to voice ourselves boldly.

Yes, there are continuous crackdowns on justice and voice and we are being silenced, but we have more solidarity, and with the help of various communications media, we are able to support each other better.

2. What has been the most urgent setback or challenge today for gender justice?

With the Trump administration in power and the global gag rule (GGR) in effect, we are facing enormous crackdowns on the work that we do, our sisters do across the globe. SRHR is under serious and grave attack, coupled with budget cuts, product cuts.

Women and girls are unable to access contraception, safe abortion services, and exercise basic human rights due to the global gag rule (GGR), withdrawal of funding in the global south.

Justice is not being delivered, there are still many countries where abortion is completely illegal, and the maternal mortality rate (MMR), teenage pregnancy is at an all-time high! It is a scary and unnerving, and there are too many ifs that we are grappling with. 

Now it is time more than ever to come together, to make noise and raise our voices on SRHRJ, and be braver and bolder. GGR has an irreparable impact on the lives of girls, women, and adolescents. Banning abortions does not stop abortions, it makes the journey isolating, unsafe and pushes abortion seekers to a corner. 

The impact is huge, persons living with HIV, survivors of GBV, women, girls, trans persons are all robbed of a choice, which is their right, matter of dignity and clearly matter of life and death! 

3. How have funding cuts/backsliding on gender equality globally affected your work?

Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) is a global south based INGO working with partners and allies to realise Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for all.

Our work is deeply rooted in feminist principles and human rights mechanism. Our major work is centred around safe abortion access, contraception access, young people and youth leadership and accountability for SRHR. 

The impact we are committed to requires a participatory approach that hinges on 3 levers: Partnerships, Activism, and Movement Building.

We work with partners in the SRHR and the broad justice movement for effective campaigning and advocacy to hold duty bearers accountable to their global commitments and human rights obligations.

WGNRR facilitates collaborative grassroots efforts, foster strategic partnerships, and nurture cross-movement solidarity to advance shared goals. 

WGNRR seeks to build capacity of its partners to advocate for SRHR and justice within their contexts and other advocacies. We do this through learning sessions, VCAT, stigma reduction workshops, and forums. 

And all this requires funding, we have seen major budget cuts for the work we do especially in the Asia region, which has had impact on our work internally and externally. 

For sustainable and long-term impact, a funding pool is needed to support and capacitate grassroots NGOs, individuals and actions that WGNRR is committed to. 

We have had to scale our work at certain countries due to lack of funding. 

 The “Where’s the Justice?” campaign marks 30 years since the Beijing Platform for Action, highlighting both progress made and the urgent setbacks gender justice faces today. Stay tuned as we feature more feminist leaders, activists, and experts speaking about the realities of their work, the harm caused by funding cuts, and the urgent need for accountability and meaningful action toward gender equality.