By Mark den Hollander
Earlier this month, the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) convened ambassadors and delegates to discuss the state of women and children worldwide. This year’s gathering stood in stark contrast to last year’s. Leftist ideology faces a full-scale pushback from countries rejecting its political agenda. In several side-events, leftist groups voiced alarm over shrinking funding and uncertainty about their future participation in CSW. Their anxiety signals a shift—but not a victory.
Dismantling the left’s ability to impose its ideology on developing nations demands sustained effort. Too often, conservatives retreat prematurely.
President Trump’s return has energized conservatives committed to traditional family values. The U.S. Mission to the UN promoted this shift by sponsoring a side-conference during CSW week, dubbed the Conference on the State of Women and the Family. This move marked a deliberate counterpoint to UN Women and the broader CSW, which in recent years have pivoted away from family-centric discussions toward individual identity and gender terminology. These buzzwords aren’t mere semantics—they’re the foundation of a looming threat to UN negotiations.
Take the phrase "multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination." Leftist advocates wield it to advance LGBT rights, stretching its meaning beyond its assumed definition. At CSW69, nations like Nigeria and Egypt pushed back, insisting it should stick to agreed-upon categories like race or disability. Their resistance highlights a deeper clash over cultural values and national sovereignty.
This tension extends beyond the UN. Programs like the European Development Fund tie aid to gender equality and anti-discrimination mandates, nudging local NGOs in developing countries toward intersectional frameworks. The message is clear: adopt Western notions of sex and gender or forfeit support. For nations seeking to preserve their traditions, this feels less like partnership and more like coercion—aid as a Trojan horse for ideology, undermining the right to self-determination.
A new sheriff may be in town, but the fight isn’t over. Conservatives must stay vigilant, pressing forward to protect the necessary values that anchor families around the globe.
Mark den Hollander is CCI Representative US