Drawing the picture
Across the globe, a well-funded and organised anti-rights movement is working to undo the hard-won protections for LGBTIQ+ people, women, adolescents, young people, and other marginalised communities. Anti-rights movements reject the principle that all people are equal and deserve the same rights. The different speakers alluded to their observations on how the anti-rights movement operates.
Mahy Hassaan, an anti-rights researcher based in Egypt, explained that anti-rights and anti-gender movements actively block generational progress on LGBTQI+ rights and women’s rights. They use moral panic, cyber campaigns, and misinformation to influence public opinion.
Asia Russell, Executive director of Health GAP, detailed that the anti-rights movement is extremely powerful, well-funded and well-organized. They are aligned with political leaders, especially older heads of state. They are opposed to equality, pluralism, and democracy. They use the unpopularity of minority groups as “wedge issues” or “scape goats” creating “toxic collaborations” that lead to retaliation against for example queer people, those seeking reproductive health care, and those needing vaccines.
Kerry Cullinan, Deputy editor of Health Policy Watch, shared examples from South Africa, there anti-rights groups use so called “Trojan horse” campaigns to discourage vulnerable young women from seeking abortions. A new alliance is emerging between anti-vaxxers, anti-rights groups and extreme libertarians. In countries lacking basic infrastructure, anti-vaxx messaging leads directly to preventable deaths.
The important role of authoritarian regimes and big tech
Populist and authoritarian leaders frame minorities as threats to social order, positioning themselves as its protectors, explains Margit van Wessel, Associate professor at Wagening University. This narrative is central to their political agendas. Anti-rights activity is part of a coordinated network and therefore requires a coordinated response to fight back.
According to Giovana Fleck, Media Manager at RNW Media, the thought that technology is neutral is a misconception. She pointed out that social media platforms, amplify harmful, polarizing content are designed to profit from engagement, even when it spreads hate and sometimes suppress journalistic content while allowing extremist narratives to thrive. This kind of digital environment accelerates the spread of anti-rights ideologies.
Recommendations by the experts
So how do we fight back? Margit emphasized that many majority-world countries have deep experience resisting anti-rights and authoritarian movements. For minority-world countries, she recommended to focus on the following points:
- financial support without paternalism
- promoting mutual learning rather than assuming expertise
- using existing political influence to expose transnational anti-rights networks
- mobilizing public opinion and resources
- building international pro-rights networks as strong and well-funded as the anti-rights movement
In Malawi a recent court ruling that affirms abortion rights for survivors of sexual violence, illustrates the fact that health issues can mobilise broad communities, Asia notes. Kerry stressed that diversity is a strength, but unity is crucial. Hypocrisy within anti-rights narratives must be consistently exposed. The experts spoke about reclaiming agency in online spaces, centering the stories of those directly affected rebuilding democratic digital spaces and connecting movements facing similar challenges globally. By using these spaces to share counter-narratives and community knowledge. Mahy noted that in contexts like Egypt, where public assembly is restricted, digital safe spaces have become essential for collective organizing. Mahy emphasized the need for sustainable strategies, including investing in wellbeing and mental health for activists and researchers minimizing storage of sensitive data and creating referral and support systems encouraging donors to invest in service provision.
“Without healthy activists, no movement can thrive.” Mahy Hassaan
The way forward
“I was surprised about how little there was, especially when seeing how long the anti-rights movement has been here, and how well funded it is.” – Margit van Wessel
Margit pointed out that she was suprised by the lack of documented knowledge on effective counter strategies, given how long the anti-rights movement has existed and how well-funded it is.
“We need to be for something, we are for healthy families. That is what I would advocate, the main criticism about us is that we are reactive towards the anti-rights movement. We should be clearer about what we are for.” – Kerry Cullinan
Kerry stressed that rather than only reacting, we should clearly articulate what we stand for such as healthy families and equitable societies. Giovana highlighted the important role of local community journalists who document anti-rights activity on the ground. They need support, and public information spaces must be made safer and more inclusive.
“Failure will come, but paralysis and inaction are not options.” – Asia Russel
Key Takeaway
Anti-rights movements are coordinated, well-funded, and increasingly influential. Responding effectively requires equally coordinated, transnational, community-led strategies, grounded in solidarity, shared learning, digital and physical safety, support for journalism, and a clear vision of the rights and values we stand for, not just what we oppose.
Key questions moving forward:
- How do we mobilize broad societal values?
- How do we reach people outside our own networks?
- How do we expose the operational strategies of anti-rights movements?