How coalitions, justice pathways and narrative change are advancing gender equality in constrained contexts

# What this paper covers

# The operating context

The paper frames its findings against a global environment of intensified backlash against women's rights, shrinking civic space, rising political polarization and increasing pressure on multilateral institutions. Those conditions limit traditional routes for legal and policy change and raise protection risks for rights defenders and civil society organizations.

# Core practices the paper identifies

• Combine distributed leadership with multi-level partners: local groups, regional networks, national movements and international actors. Distributed leadership helps coalitions continue functioning if central figures are targeted.
• Pursue mutually reinforcing strategies across sectors so legal, political, service-delivery and advocacy actions amplify one another.

• Expand access by linking formal justice systems with informal and community-based mechanisms where courts and institutions are weakened or hostile.
• Use strategic, context-sensitive pathways that prioritize survivor safety, local legitimacy and achievable gains rather than pursuing ideal outcomes that increase risk for frontline actors.

• Work deliberately on public narratives to counter backlash. Narrative efforts should be locally grounded and tailored to specific audiences and political dynamics.
• Connect narrative work to legal and policy strategies so shifts in public perception create enabling space for institutional change.

# Shared strategic approach

# Implications for institutions and funders

The paper draws clear operational implications for governments, civil society, UN entities and donors:

• Flexible funding: donors should permit adaptive programming and rapid reallocation to respond to shifting risks and opportunities on the ground.
• Protection and risk support: stronger, sustained protection measures are needed for individuals and organizations operating under threat.
• Connect local practice to global processes: institutional mechanisms should enable local actors to feed evidence and experience into international policy fora and back again.
• Institutional roles: UN entities and other institutions should play more connective and enabling roles rather than solely prescriptive or project-based roles.

# What the paper provides

This is a practice-focused reflections paper (PDF, 2.1 MB, 8 pages) that collates dialogue outcomes and identifies concrete practices and policy implications rather than introducing new empirical research. It is designed for practitioners, policymakers and funders seeking operational recommendations for advancing gender equality in difficult political environments.