My dear sisters and brothers across all borders,
Let me start with a simple truth: Every Woman began as a bold idea—and became a global force.
What we have achieved together is nothing short of extraordinary. Over 4,000 activists and organisations across 165 countries—that’s not a network, that’s a movement with a passport. We’ve pushed like a tidal wave for an Optional Protocol to CEDAW. We’ve engaged UN Member States, challenged institutions, and sat across tables from heads of state, ministers, and diplomats—sometimes politely, sometimes persistently, always prepared.
We’ve produced research that dissects global frameworks on violence against women and girls. We’ve written op-eds that travelled farther than most of us ever will. We’ve mobilised campaigns from the 16 Days of Activism to Elina Chauvet’s Red Shoe Project, and collaborated with governments leading the charge for a treaty to end VAWG.
In short, we’ve turned whispers into roars.
That’s achievement number one: proof that collective feminist power works.
But—and this is the plot twist—the world has changed.
Today’s global order feels less like a system and more like a stress test. Rule-based frameworks are cracking. Backlashes against women’s rights are no longer subtle—they’re loud, coordinated, and well-funded. Pandemics, wars, and crises have opened “windows of opportunity” that none of us asked for. Institutions are moving at bureaucratic speed while rights regress at internet speed.
Let’s be honest: we are not just facing resistance.
We are facing a strategic rollback.
Which brings me to point two: we must re-strategise to meet this moment.
What worked yesterday will not be enough tomorrow. Moral clarity alone won’t win this fight—strategic clarity will. We need sharper coordination, faster responses, and unified positions that land punches, not polite suggestions. We need to move from reacting to backlashes to anticipating and outpacing them.
At one UN meeting, violence against women wasn’t even on the agenda. We were politely sidelined—told, “There’s no space this session.”
So we re-strategised overnight.
By morning, different coalition members raised the issue in three separate agenda items, from three regions, using three different entry points—health, security, and human rights.
By the end of the day, the Chair sighed and said: “It seems this issue is… cross-cutting.”
Which is diplomatic code for: “Fine. It’s now on the agenda.”
That is not confrontation; it is strategic persistence.
That is what re-strategising looks like: not shouting harder, but speaking in surround sound.
So today we are at a point that is not a retreat. It’s a recalibration.
And the good news? Our answer is already in our hands.
The coalition is our USP. The coalition is the heartbeat of Everywoman
Every Woman is not a solo act—it’s an orchestra. One voice can be ignored. Four thousand voices? That changes the acoustics of power. Grassroots grit meets policy muscle. Local realities shape global advocacy. Diverse contexts produce smarter, more resilient solutions.
This coalition is democratic, not chaotic. It is diverse, not diluted. And when it works at its best, it does something rare: it turns shared belief into shared action.
Which brings me to point three: how this coalition functions best—and how we strengthen it.
Our strength lies in being democratic but streamlined.
Every voice matters—but not every decision needs 4,000 people on a Zoom call. Transparent working groups like the Emerging Leaders Council, the Diplomacy Committee, the Media Committee—this is how democracy becomes functional, not performative. Clear roles matter: policy teams shape evidence, partnerships build alliances, media amplifies impact. Participation fuels legitimacy; structure delivers results.
Decision-making must be participative, not paralysing. Broad input through forums, surveys, and working groups—combined with designated leadership to make final calls—keeps us inclusive and agile. In moments of backlash, speed is not optional. It’s survival.
In a world that is increasingly aggressive, fragmented, and resistant to accountability, our coalition does something radical: it stabilises progress by scaling unity. From villages to international bodies, from lived experience to international law, we create accountability that no single actor could achieve alone.
When women from 165 countries link arms, backlash doesn’t disappear—but it doesn’t win either.
So let’s be clear about who we are.
We are not just surviving this moment.
We are re-strategising for it.
We are not just a coalition.
We are the democratic heartbeat of global feminist change.
And we are just getting louder.
– Meera Khanna, Cofounder, Every Woman
