Introduction

Rees, Secretary General of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, recently delivered a compelling lecture titled The Continuous Struggle: Women’s Rights in the Last Four Decades and the Backlash Against Progress. The event attracted a full audience at the Roscoe Theatre, alongside a virtual attendance that further broadened its reach.

Key Themes of the Lecture

During her address, Rees focused on the evolution of gender justice, particularly in conflict-affected regions such as Argentina, Bosnia, Syria, and Ukraine. She highlighted critical developments over the past four decades, noting that progress is increasingly jeopardized by:

• Rising authoritarianism
• Legal rollbacks on established rights
• Cultural resistance to gender equality

The Need for Vigilance and Action

Rees underscored the imperative to safeguard hard-earned rights while advocating for structural changes that address violence and exclusion. She proposed a reimagining of peacebuilding efforts through a feminist perspective, stating, “We insert ourselves into what we see and learn from existing structures. Male and female binary. History matters, but it’s biased; it’s mainly not women’s views. It’s not that women were written out of history but it’s that women were never written in.”

Challenges Facing Gender Justice

Throughout her discussion, Rees addressed the significant pushback against gender equality and its detrimental effects on the pursuit of justice and understanding of conflict dynamics. She argued that adhering to binary frameworks, particularly concerning gender, obstructs the fundamental shifts required to combat inequality and violence.