Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Backlash Unfiltered: Pushing Forward Equality in Times of Change
Episode 1. Responding to the Growing Impacts of Backlash Movements on Social Development with Dr Ayesha Khan
In this episode, UNRISD Director Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona speaks with Dr Ayesha Khan, Senior Research Fellow at ODI Global, a leading global affairs think tank, who specialises in the global backlash against gender equality. They discuss how patriarchal norms fuel this conservative phenomenon, linking anti-feminist movements to broader anti-rights agendas affecting, amongst others, LGBTQIA+ rights, reproductive health, and democracy. Dr Khan highlights the growing influence of religious groups, their financial backing, and how these forces shape policies across the global South. The conversation considers a wide range of affected regions, including Latin America, Africa and Central Asia. Ayesha also explores the role of US politics, particularly the resurgence of anti-gender policies, and the funding crisis threatening feminist movements worldwide. The exchange underscores the urgent need for global feminist alliances, grassroots engagement, and stronger multilateral support to counteract these setbacks and defend inclusive social progress.
Backlash Unfiltered: Pushing Forward for Equality in Times of Change is a podcast series by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), launched as part of our ongoing commitment to gender justice and inclusive development. Through in-depth conversations with leading scholars, activists, and policymakers, this series explores the rise of anti-gender movements, their impact on social development, and the historical and geopolitical forces that sustain them. It sheds light on how these movements are influencing institutions, reshaping policies, and altering public discourse—with significant global repercussions. Listen to the other episodes: unrisd.org/backlash-unfiltered
Backlash Unfiltered: Pushing Forward Equality in Times of Change
Episode 1. Responding to the Growing Impacts of Backlash Movements on Social Development with Dr Ayesha Khan
In this episode, UNRISD Director Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona speaks with Dr Ayesha Khan, Senior Research Fellow at ODI Global, a leading global affairs think tank, who specialises in the global backlash against gender equality. They discuss how patriarchal norms fuel this conservative phenomenon, linking anti-feminist movements to broader anti-rights agendas affecting, amongst others, LGBTQIA+ rights, reproductive health, and democracy. Dr Khan highlights the growing influence of religious groups, their financial backing, and how these forces shape policies across the global South. The conversation considers a wide range of affected regions, including Latin America, Africa and Central Asia. Ayesha also explores the role of US politics, particularly the resurgence of anti-gender policies, and the funding crisis threatening feminist movements worldwide. The exchange underscores the urgent need for global feminist alliances, grassroots engagement, and stronger multilateral support to counteract these setbacks and defend inclusive social progress.
Backlash Unfiltered: Pushing Forward for Equality in Times of Change is a podcast series by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), launched as part of our ongoing commitment to gender justice and inclusive development. Through in-depth conversations with leading scholars, activists, and policymakers, this series explores the rise of anti-gender movements, their impact on social development, and the historical and geopolitical forces that sustain them. It sheds light on how these movements are influencing institutions, reshaping policies, and altering public discourse—with significant global repercussions. Listen to the other episodes: unrisd.org/backlash-unfiltered
