The world is grappling with escalating inequalities, persistent crises, and mounting humanitarian needs, collectively eroding the support systems vital for millions globally. Experts across various fields have issued stern warnings, highlighting how significant funding gaps and inconsistent political will are actively thwarting progress in the critical domain of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). This alarming trend is compounded by reduced budgetary allocations, increasingly restrictive policies, and the rise of anti-gender movements, all of which pose substantial threats to the advancement of gender equality and sustainable development.

A critical observation made by global experts is that when donor governments opt to scale back their international commitments, funding designated for gender equality and women's rights is frequently among the first to be withdrawn. This deprioritization leaves an already vulnerable landscape of feminist organizations even more precarious. The direct consequence is a severe curtailment of essential services in adolescent health, comprehensive reproductive care, and crucial maternal health, thus exposing the profound human cost of what is now widely recognized as a global funding crisis.

During a pivotal panel discussion titled 'Unpacking the Funding Crisis - Feminist Perspectives on Global Aid Cuts and Domestic Alternatives,' several prominent voices underscored the gravity of the situation. Irene Ogeta of the Athena Network vehemently warned that stop-work orders are actively undermining critical services for girls and women across Africa. Lucy Minayo from Amplify Girls articulated how these funding cuts are intensifying existing vulnerabilities, thereby emphasizing the urgent imperative for more robust domestic financing mechanisms. Echoing these concerns, Tendai Kunyelesa of DAWA meticulously outlined the disproportionate and devastating toll these reductions in aid are inflicting upon women and marginalized communities, particularly those residing in rural and disaster-affected regions.

Irene Ogeta further elaborated on the catastrophic impact of the U.S. stop-work order, combined with sharp funding reductions from other major international donors, including the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Canada. These measures, she asserted, have had dire consequences for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in sub-Saharan Africa. 'From our assessment across 13 countries, it was clear that HIV prevention and treatment services were halted, safe centres were shut down, and ARVs were being hoarded. These were lifelines for young women, and suddenly they disappeared,' Ogeta stated. The findings unequivocally demonstrated that vital HIV prevention and treatment services ceased, antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) were being hoarded, and safe centers for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV)—many of which heavily relied on U.S. government funding—were forced to close. Ogeta stressed that this is not an isolated 'U.S. problem,' but a widespread issue where decisions by multiple donors are 'threatening to dismantle essential health and community systems and leave millions of adolescent girls and young women extremely vulnerable.'

The funding cuts, Ogeta explained, have ignited a surge in new HIV infections, severely disrupted the continuity of care, and fueled increased stigma directed at AGYW living with HIV. She highlighted a deepening of gender inequality, with girls confronting escalating socioeconomic hardship, significant school disruptions, and a pervasive lack of access to accurate information that was previously disseminated through community-based organizations. Furthermore, mental health needs are rising sharply, yet crucial support services have vanished due to the inability of staff and organizations to continue operations. Ogeta underscored that this crisis transcends the health sector, profoundly affecting education, personal safety, self-care, and foundational community support systems. She urgently called for governments to enhance domestic resources, guarantee uninterrupted access to HIV prevention and treatment, and strategically invest in local drug production. Additionally, she implored international organizations and donors to maintain flexible funding for the SRHR, HIV, GBV, and mental health sectors, which she argued have been unjustly deprioritized for too long. Ogeta concluded by urging the private sector to step in, asserting, 'We cannot work in silos. We need solidarity to support adolescent girls and young women who are being left behind. This isn't just a funding crisis, it's a justice crisis.'

Lucy Minayo of Amplify Girls, representing a network of over 40 NGOs that collectively reach more than 300,000 girls annually across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Malawi, echoed Ogeta’s sentiment. Minayo warned that global aid cuts are actively undermining the very programs designed to build girls' agency and provide critical support to vulnerable communities. She described the current moment as not merely a funding crisis but a profound justice crisis, exposing deep-seated inequities in whose voices are heard and how resources are allocated. 'These cuts are sweeping across the continent and pulling the rug from under the very programmes that support millions of girls. And we must be clear - this isn't just a funding crisis, it's a justice crisis,' Minayo reiterated. She emphasized that aid cuts are not abstract; they manifest as 'girls being pulled out of school, women losing access to maternal health care, and grassroots feminist organisations struggling to keep their doors open.' Minayo cited aid reductions of up to 50% in sectors like education, directly translating into lost futures and exacerbated poverty. She firmly stated that philanthropy alone cannot bridge the widening gap and that aid dependency has never been a sustainable model. Minayo advocated for domestic financing to become a core strategy for resilience, enabling countries to break free from cycles of aid dependency and invest in systems that are truly accountable to local priorities. She highlighted innovative models such as environmentally driven enterprises, community-based fundraising, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnerships as evidence that domestic resources can sustain impact even when international aid falters. 'Domestic financing is not just a solution, it's actually a necessity… creating systems that are resilient to external shocks and that enable us to allocate resources in ways that dismantle inequality rather than defend it,' she explained. Minayo called for a shift towards 'less competition, more collaboration,' noting that funding is increasingly directed towards networks, movements, coalitions, and even mergers, requiring 'humility and boldness' to foster stronger collective action. She asserted that governments ultimately bear the responsibility for delivering health, education, and social protection, and civil society must continue to advocate for adequate budgeting, tax justice, and stronger public financing. 'Let's explore domestic financing options… We have a chance to rethink how we do our work and still be relevant, but to play the role we were set up to play,' Minayo concluded.

Tendai Kunyelesa of DAWA shed light on the 'devastating and disproportionate' impact of foreign aid cuts on displaced women and marginalized rural communities, particularly those already reeling from climate-related disasters. Using Zimbabwe as a poignant example, Kunyelesa explained that many women and girls have been forcibly relocated to areas almost entirely devoid of services, often relying on a single, overburdened facility for all their health needs. She noted that the closure or drastic scaling-back of outreach programs has transformed a previously manageable journey into a arduous 10-kilometer walk, resulting in most adolescent girls and young women simply abandoning access to HIV testing, treatment, or contraception altogether. This situation, exacerbated by long distances, pervasive stigma, and a critical lack of transportation, has led to a alarming rise in HIV infections and unintended pregnancies. Kunyelesa further detailed how the cuts have compelled organizations to halt vital community-based programs, including self-care groups that once offered safe spaces, essential psychosocial support, and even basic transport stipends. Without even minimal support like bus fare or refreshments, young women no longer attend these sessions, with some resorting to saving their last dollar for contraceptives rather than traveling to clinics where they fear judgment from community members or health workers. 'We were supporting adolescent girls to create safe spaces and discuss issues… We were covering transport costs and refreshments. Now, because we no longer have funding, we can't continue those discussions. Girls ask themselves: 'If there is no transport money, why should I even go?' she lamented. The loss of funding, Kunyelesa warned, is stripping away essential spaces for dignity, safety, and autonomy, leaving already vulnerable women 'even more exposed and unsupported.' Critically, foreign aid cuts have also forced essential facilities to implement user fees, effectively shutting out the poorest and youngest women. She highlighted a PSI-supported clinic that previously offered free services to underage girls, young women, and survivors of sexual violence, but now charges fees to remain operational. This shift has drastically reduced access to care, contributing to an increase in sexual violence, maternal mortality, and untreated health needs. Displaced women are now living in overcrowded rural settlements where job losses and school dropouts are rampant. 'We are now seeing an increase in sexual violence, maternal mortality, and limited access to education and economic opportunities. These communities are overcrowded, people have lost their jobs, and many girls have dropped out of school. The cases of gender-based violence have also gone up,' she reported. The severity of limited access to education is such that some girls cannot even write their names or a simple sentence, creating significant barriers for organizations attempting to run empowerment or skills-building programs. Facilitators are often forced to translate everything into local languages and adapt activities because participants cannot complete written reflections or action plans. Kunyelesa concluded by stating that 'women-led organisations are trying to prioritise sustainability and address these critical challenges,' emphasizing that 'Adolescent girls and young women, especially those in disaster-stricken communities, must be able to access information and fully participate. They are often the ones left behind.' She also shared DAWA's innovative use of sports tournaments as a strategy to engage communities on sensitive issues like gender-based violence and economic empowerment, especially in contexts where direct discussions on domestic violence are challenging, making sports an effective entry point with incentives to attract various community members, including leaders, men, boys, and young women.

Nicole Maloba from FEMNET introduced the concept of feminist economic justice as the 'missing core' of the ongoing funding-crisis conversation. She articulated that economic justice encompasses 'whose pregnancies are safe, whose abortions are safe or unsafe, whose gender identity is criminalized or recognized, and who can make decisions about their body without fear, violence, or poverty standing in the way.' Maloba criticized the global preoccupation with micro-credit and women's 'empowerment' loans, arguing that these schemes deflect attention from crucial macroeconomic decision-making while simultaneously trapping women in cycles of debt. Research in Uganda and Kenya, she noted, revealed that women are using money borrowed for businesses to pay for public services that governments should be providing—such as healthcare and privatized education. Maloba drew a clear distinction between neutral 'gender' approaches and explicitly feminist ones, insisting that only the latter can accurately trace today's crises back to colonial extraction and demand that leaders leverage Africa's immense natural-resource wealth to adequately fund public services for women, girls, and marginalized communities. 'Money controls, directs, and positions power. If we are serious about justice, we have to address how economic structures shape women's autonomy, health, and opportunities,' she asserted.

Leila Marie Mutoni highlighted the severe repercussions of reduced aid on girls' and young women's health services in Burundi. While approximately 90% of healthcare funding in Burundi originates from the national budget, political crises in 2016 led countries like Belgium, the Netherlands, and the European Union to cut or suspend aid, leaving the health sector critically underfunded. This resulted in severely limited access to contraception for adolescent girls and the complete cessation of clinical care for survivors of sexual violence. Mutoni revealed that psychosocial support, often considered one of the simplest services, was also significantly affected. 'The government doesn't have platforms for it, so we have to rely on local NGOs. But when the government itself is constrained and culturally limited, it becomes very difficult for NGOs to provide effective services,' she explained. Disturbingly, Mutoni disclosed that unsafe, illegal abortion has become one of the leading causes of imprisonment for adolescent girls and young women in Burundi, accounting for about 40% of girls and women in prisons or rehabilitation centers. These incarcerated young women are also denied access to education within these facilities, further entrenching their vulnerability.

Nancy Barasa of Zamaan Foundation profoundly articulated the systemic disrespect for women's lives and bodies inherent in the current crisis. 'If you're not able to access contraception services, you'll get an unintended pregnancy. If you don't want to keep that baby and can't get safe abortion services, you'll seek unsafe ones. If you seek unsafe ones and don't die, you'll still die. That's how the system works; there is no respect for women's lives or bodies,' Barasa declared. She vividly described the harsh realities faced by young women and girls in Kenya, particularly in Kajiado, where austerity measures, rising living costs, and systemic underfunding of public health services have created a dire situation. Access to contraception, maternal health services, and safe abortion care is extremely limited, especially in rural counties and informal settlements. Barasa revealed the shocking truth that 'In Kajiado, girls have to exchange sex to get water. Girls have to exchange sex to get pads.' She vehemently stressed that the government's failure to prioritize sexual and reproductive health, coupled with weak accountability, has overburdened NGOs, thereby perpetuating inequality and gravely endangering girls' lives. Barasa lamented, 'When there's a crisis, sexual and reproductive rights are the first line item money is taken from… It's not seen as a disaster until girls start dying in droves from unsafe abortions and cervical cancer.' She concluded with a powerful statement, asserting that the vast sums of 'money leaving Africa for debt, for climate reparations we never receive, for illicit financial flows' could unequivocally prevent every single sexual and reproductive offense currently befalling girls.

In conclusion, the escalating global funding crisis is far more than a financial challenge; it represents a profound justice crisis, particularly impacting women and girls across Africa. The confluence of international aid cuts, restrictive policies, and anti-gender movements is dismantling essential health, education, and community support systems, leaving millions extremely vulnerable. Experts from various feminist organizations universally call for a paradigm shift, advocating for increased domestic financing, innovative revenue streams, feminist economic justice that addresses macroeconomic structures, and sustained flexible funding from international donors. They emphasize the critical need for solidarity, collaboration, and governmental accountability to protect and advance sexual and reproductive health and rights, ensuring dignity, safety, and autonomy for all.