The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) has warned that ongoing global aid cuts are undermining efforts to end violence against women and girls worldwide.
In a new report titled “At Risk and Underfunded,” released on Monday, UN Women cautioned that reductions in international funding are forcing many women’s rights and civil society organisations that provide life-saving services to scale down or completely halt operations.
The report, based on a global survey of 428 women’s rights and civil society groups, revealed that the funding crisis has left more women vulnerable to violence, as essential services are reduced and advocacy efforts weakened.
Despite decades of global commitment to eliminate gender-based violence, UN Women noted that “progress has either stalled or reversed in many regions. It highlighted that one in four countries has experienced backlash against women’s rights, while at least one in three women globally continues to face violence.”
Findings from the report, developed under UN Women’s ACT to End Violence against Women Programme and funded by the European Union, estimate that USD 78 billion in global aid cuts are forcing women’s rights and civil society organisations to close or curtail their programmes.
According to UN Women, nearly 90% of surveyed organisations reported severe reductions in women’s and girls’ access to essential services, while almost a quarter have had to halt prevention programmes. Only 5% believe they can sustain operations for two years or longer, even as violence against women and girls remains one of the world’s most widespread human rights violations.”
The report further revealed that more than a third of the organisations surveyed (34%) have suspended or shut down programmes aimed at ending violence against women and girls, while 40% have scaled back or closed life-saving services such as shelters, legal aid, psychosocial, and healthcare support due to funding gaps.
It said that 78% reported reduced access to essential services for survivors, and 59% perceived an increase in impunity and normalization of violence.”
“We call on governments and donors to ring-fence, expand, and make funding more flexible. Without sustained investment, violence against women and girls will only rise,” said Kalliopi Mingeirou, Chief of the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Section at UN Women.
“Women’s rights organisations are the backbone of progress on violence against women, yet they are being pushed to the brink. We cannot allow funding cuts to erase decades of hard-won gains,” she added.
These global trends, analysts warn, have grave implications for countries such as Nigeria, where women’s rights groups remain vital in providing advocacy, shelters, and psychosocial support to survivors of gender-based violence.
Under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, several initiatives have been launched to uplift Nigerian women and vulnerable groups. Through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) led by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, over 18,000 women across Nigeria have received empowerment tools such as deep freezers, grinding machines, and start-up grants to boost livelihoods and reduce economic vulnerability.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has also activated the Renewed Hope Roadmap for Women, Children, and Vulnerable Groups, designed to provide psychosocial, legal, and reintegration support for 200,000 survivors of gender-based violence annually by 2027.
Additionally, the RHI’s agricultural empowerment scheme reserves 75% of its beneficiaries for young female farmers, advancing women’s inclusion in productive sectors.
While these efforts demonstrate strong political will towards women’s empowerment, Experts emphasize that a dedicated funding line for combating violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains critical. Sustained, ring-fenced financing for shelters, legal aid, psychosocial services, and preventive advocacy would reinforce Nigeria’s progress and ensure that empowerment is both economic and protective.
Such targeted funding under the Renewed Hope Agenda would not only safeguard vulnerable women and girls but also reaffirm Nigeria’s leadership in advancing gender equality and human rights.
With aid shrinking and needs expanding globally, Experts warn that sustained national investment and stronger domestic partnerships are essential to prevent a reversal of gains in gender equality and protection for women and girls.