24/06/2025 Women@PACE
During the 2025 Summer Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Women@PACE group met in Strasbourg to address the increasing pushback on women’s rights across Europe and beyond.
The special guest was Neil Datta, Executive Director of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF), a leading expert on anti-gender movements and reproductive rights.
Opening the meeting, Petra Bayr (Austria, SOC) welcomed Mr Datta and underlined the importance of EPF’s landmark report “Tip of the Iceberg”, which exposes the funding networks behind anti-gender campaigns in Europe.
He presented evidence of a well-funded, co-ordinated global effort to roll back gender equality, sexual and reproductive rights, and LGBTQI+ protections. He highlighted that over 1.18 billion US dollars was funnelled into anti-gender movements between 2009 and 2021 from actors based in the United States, the Russian Federation, and Europe. Some religious groups, as well as far-right political figures, played a significant role in these campaigns, he underlined, noting that this ideology is being exported across borders, including to African countries.
He also warned about the Hungarian government's support for groups that actively target LGBTQI+ communities, environmental organisations, and free media — adding that “what happens in Hungary doesn’t stay in Hungary”.
Mr Datta also referenced EPF’s latest report, “The Next Wave” which will be launched on 26th of June and which further documents these threats. He stressed the urgent need to defund and deplatform anti-rights actors, highlighting the importance of due diligence when funding projects, noting that often institutions had unwittingly funded such anti-rights organisations and initiatives. He underlined that gender equality, reproductive rights and LGBTQI+ inclusion are central to the vision of democratic societies.
Several PACE members echoed his concerns, stressing that anti-gender movements are often far better funded and organised than civil society. They called for co-ordinated responses and stronger political leadership. The meeting was also attended by the Secretary-General of the Parliamentary Assembly Despina Chatzivassiliou.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to defending equality and democracy. The next gathering will take place during the Assembly’s autumn part-session.
