The world once felt increasingly supportive of women’s rights…but today, many women fear that the progress they’ve fought so hard for is starting to slip away.
Are women going backwards? The answer isn’t simple.
Fatima Memon, a master’s degree holder in Marketing Insights and Analytics from Oregon State University, believes the picture is nuanced.
“I think there are two extremes. Either women are very religious, or they’re religious but they also have a progressive mindset.” Memon said.
Memon notices tension: some of her peers embrace modern values, while others lean toward stricter traditions.
“Some women just say they believe in the men around them and don’t use their own mindset – that’s where there’s a lot of brainwashing,” Memon said.
Her words reflect a broader cultural divide that goes beyond campus life. Globally, conversations about gender equality are being reshaped by politics, economics, and cultural fatigue.
Nowadays, the global women’s rights movement faces negativity, backlash, and even open hostility, but back then, it was defined as passionate marches and the push for education, voting rights, and equal pay.
The United Nations recently warned that women-led movements are “at a crossroads.” In the report “What’s Next? Women-Led Movements Fear for the Future”, advocates spoke of a fear that decades of progress could unravel as funding for equality programs dries up and anti-feminist rhetoric spreads across nations.
Women’s organizations from Africa to Eastern Europe have reported an awakening pattern that the programs that are meant to protect women and girls are being demolished or defunded. Grassroots activists told UN officials that donor countries were pulling out support at a time when gender-biased violence and political instability were rising.
Moufeeda Haider, senior regional program coordinator at Restless Development (a youth NGO), told the UN, “We are wondering what’s next. How are we going to support this network?”
There is also a noticeable cultural backlash against feminism itself, one that a lot of college women can relate to.
Jiya Pradhan, a Nepali international undergraduate in computer science at OSU, says she’s noticed how differently feminism is talked about now—both online and in classrooms.
“Back then, people saw feminism as something hopeful,” she said. “It was about equality and the right to be heard. But now, people roll their eyes when they hear the word. It’s like feminism has become a bad word.”
Her input is so similar to what these women’s rights advocates have warned- that the movement is being redefined not by women themselves, but by critics who address feminism as an attack rather than a chance to have fair rights.
“I think the message has been lost,” Pradhan said. “When people hear ‘feminism,’ they imagine anger or extremism, not the everyday woman just trying to live freely.”
All these misunderstandings have real consequences. In some situations, speaking about women’s rights now comes with backlash, online harassment, social outrage, or even threats. To this day, many young women are scared to identify themselves as feminists, even if they believe in the same principles.
This split between belief and labels highlights Fatima’s earlier concerns about religion and progress. Both women point to the same struggle- the world’s discomfort with balance. You can have full support for women’s equality and be religious, and also be a feminist without being radical. But the world is just not ready to have a conversation about these for women.
Despite the setbacks, both Memon and Pradhan say they refuse to lose hope. They see power in conversation- in speaking, questioning, and listening, even when it’s uncomfortable.
The UN’s report ends on a similar note. It calls for solidarity across movements and generations, urging countries not to abandon the progress made so far. Women’s rights are human rights, one advocate reminded delegates. If we stop now, we don’t just go backwards – we erase decades of sacrifice.
For women like Fatima and Jiya, their warnings and concerns seem deeply personal. Their voices are so rooted in faith and balance and echoes that progress isn’t determined by laws alone, but by mindset.
As Memon put it, “You can explore your religion and not be an extremist.”
There should be space for both faith and feminism, and women should feel safe expressing their support for feminism. None of these should be used to push women backwards. This may be the way to improve, and a new future begins for us future generation of women.
