Women’s freedom to speak openly about politics has dropped steadily since 2012, with current levels now at their lowest since 1997 - according to new global analysis from CARE International UK and Equal Measures.
Amidst growing global attacks on women’s rights, the analysis showed that over the last 25 years, more than half of countries worldwide saw women’s freedom of political expression* decline.
Estimates reveal that over 1.3 billion women and girls live in countries that restrict the expression of political opinions by women, with projections showing that if current trends persist, by 2050 this number will grow to 1.74 billion.
Today, over 800 million of these women live in countries where hardly any freedom of expression exists for women.
According to the analysis, the UK itself also saw a decrease in women’s freedom to discuss political issues, with the most recent data knocking them out of the top ten highest-scoring countries in the world in 2024.
These findings come amidst a worsening global backdrop of backlash against gender equality, and cuts to funding for women’s rights organisations. Research from Equal Measures 2030 shows that progress on gender equality has either stagnated or reversed in nearly 40 per cent of countries. Meanwhile, the UK government continues to plan major cuts to foreign aid programmes designed to protect women and girls’ rights.
Speaking about the analysis, CARE International UK’s CEO, Helen McEachern said:
This growing backlash against gender equality is the canary in the coalmine. When women feel less able to speak openly about politics, it is a warning sign for democracy itself. This isn’t just about confidence – it reflects coordinated and well-funded attacks, shrinking civic space, and systemic misogyny that seeks to silence women’s voices.”
Reflecting this worsening picture, additional newly released polling from YouGov shows that under 4 in 10 (39%) of UK adults believe that the Labour government care about the rights of women and girls. This is despite a staggering 85 per cent thinking that the UK should be involved in addressing women and girls’ rights around the world.
Helen McEachern added:
The British public want to see action - not assurances. The UK's response must match the scale of the threat. This means embedding the global defence of gender equality as a strategic foreign policy priority, and continuing to fund and protect the women’s rights organisations and human rights defenders who are holding the line globally.”
ENDS
*This indicator specifies the extent to which women are able to engage in private discussions, particularly on political issues, in private homes and public spaces (restaurants, public transportation, sports events, work etc.) without fear of harassment by other members of the polity or the public authorities.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About CARE International UK
CARE International UK is a member of CARE International - a global humanitarian organisation leading the fight to end poverty in the world’s most challenging situations. Women and girls are at the centre of our work, because we cannot overcome poverty and inequality until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We know that when a crisis erupts, women are often the first to pick up the pieces, so we work alongside women, so they have the power to make change where it’s needed most. Founded in 1945, CARE currently works in over 100 countries and last year alone, reached over 60 million people. Find out more at careinternational.org.uk
About Equal Measures 2030
This analysis was conducted by Equal Measures 2030 (EM2030) using data from the Varieties of Democracy Project (V-Dem). V-Dem, based at the Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg and with collaboration from the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame, provides one of the world’s most comprehensive datasets on democracy and civil liberties, covering more than 179 countries annually. V-Dem data are based on assessments by multiple country experts and use statistical modelling to produce comparable and reliable country scores over time.
Equal Measures 2030 is a coalition of leaders from feminist networks, civil society and international development across the globe who connect data and evidence with advocacy and action on gender equality. Find out more at equalmeasures2030.org
About YouGov polling
Total sample size was 2,208 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23rd – 24th of February 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).