The Future
What comes next?
Leaders in the global women’s and feminist movement—past and present—spell out their hopes for the future.
Zahra Al Hilaly, former Beijing +25 Youth Task Force member
Peggy Antrobus, founder-member, Development Alternatives with Women
for a New Era (DAWN)
Ixchel Lucas, human rights defender, Guatemala
Sandra Macías del Villar,
co-director, Alliance for Feminist Movements
Alejandra Koyoc González, feminist activist, Mexico
Nana Millers, executive director, Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda
Soneni Moyo, advocate for gender equality, Zimbabwe
Ayshka Najib, youth climate justice activist, Fridays for Future (MAPA)
Sia Nowrojee,
associate vice president, Girls & Women Strategy, UN Foundation
Stephanie Oula,
director, UN and Civil Society Engagement, Girls & Women Strategy, UN Foundation
Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta, former ambassador at large for global women’s issues, U.S. Department of State
As you look toward the future, if you could fast-forward 50 years, what do you hope will have changed for women?
“Everything. While we’ve made significant progress over the past 50 years, there is no country on earth where women have the same rights as men. In 50 years (or sooner), I hope we have no gender-based violence, equal opportunities and pay, and a world that celebrates feminist leadership.”
—Sia Nowrojee, associate vice president, Girls & Women Strategy, UN Foundation
“Fifty years from today I hope that women’s equality will be taken for granted worldwide and that women’s rights will be routinely upheld in law and in practice. The extremist right-wing groups that oppose progress on equality, I hope, will have been weakened and marginalized by then. As a result, I hope that the women’s movement will have morphed and joined hands with other social justice movements to advocate for equality for all vulnerable groups, not just based on gender….
“By 2075, I hope that we will be able to look back and congratulate ourselves for having come together successfully to make the necessary investment of resources to uproot the authoritarian, misogynistic, cruel culture that had somehow become the norm in 2025.”
—Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta, former ambassador at large for global women’s issues, U.S. Department of State
“I hope in 50 years conversations around women, their lives and place in the world, will no longer be topics that are up for debate in the ways we are seeing today. I hope for a world where the call for equity is not met with backlash. In 50 years, I hope women from all walks of life will have the opportunity to make choices about their bodies, livelihoods and well-being.”
—Nyasha Musandu, communications lead, Alliance for Feminist Movements
“En esa época espero que haya una disminución de los crímenes violentos contra las mujeres en su diversidad, niñas y adolescentes, que podamos ver un mundo sin feminicidios, sin abuso sexual, uno en donde los países reconozcan en sus legislaciones los derechos de las mujeres y donde inviertan en políticas públicas que garanticen realidades más justas y dignas, así como que trabajen de la mano con sociedad civil y nuestro trabajo sea reconocido y remunerado, pareciera muy idealista, pero uno mundo en donde todas sean plenamente libres.”
“By that time, I hope there will be a reduction in violent crimes against women in all their diversity, as well as against girls and adolescents. I dream of a world without femicides, without sexual abuse—a world where countries recognize women's rights in their legislation and invest in public policies that ensure fairer and more dignified realities. I hope governments work hand in hand with civil society and that our work is acknowledged and fairly compensated. It may seem idealistic, but I envision a world where all women are truly free.”
—Alejandra Koyoc González, feminist activist, Mexico
“Fifty years from now, I hope to see a world where gender is understood as a spectrum, and where transgender women are fully integrated and celebrated within society. I envision a future where systemic transphobia has been eradicated, and where all individuals, regardless of gender identity, have equal access to healthcare, education, and employment. I hope that the violence and discrimination that transgender women face today are relegated to the past, and that we live in a world where safety and respect are guaranteed for all.
“I dream of a future where intersectional feminism is the norm, and where no one is left behind, where the unique experiences of trans women of color, disabled trans women, and all other marginalized trans women are centered. I hope to see a world where gender affirming care is accessible to all, and where trans women can live full and happy lives. I long for a future where the concept of gender policing is a distant memory.”
—Nana Millers, executive director, Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda
“It’s such a specific micro-indicator, but I hope in 50 years, women, girls, LGBTQ+, and gender-diverse people no longer have to say the phrase “Let me know when you get home safely” to each other as we do now in a world where gender-based violence is normalized.”
“On the more macro side, I hope that our planet will be healthy and habitable and that we will no longer need to navigate poly-crises of climate change and conflict and all their devastating consequences.
“I hope that we will have a world in 50 years that we could have only dreamt of today, built on feminist visions and action.”
—Stephanie Oula, director, UN and Civil Society Engagement, Girls & Women Strategy, UN Foundation
“As a changemaker, after closing my eyes I see a future to come where a woman is given the same right to speak as a man, a woman is given the same pay as their male counterparts, [and] in leadership spaces women are also represented and not marginalized nor idolized. This is the world [in which] women [have gained] gained their respect and place.”
—Soneni Moyo, advocate for gender equality, Zimbabwe
“Justice and equality will be a given—there is no question of why we should have equality because it is …natural. Gender-based violence is a thing of the past or rarely happens, it is seen as an anomaly and long gone are the days where we see pictures of global gatherings of heads of states where there are only one or two women.”
—Sandra Macías del Villar, co-director, Alliance for Feminist Movements
“Espero que para nosotras las niñas, adolescentes y jóvenes haya una mejor educación y salud integral; que las violaciones hacia nuestros derechos sean erradicados; que disminuya el acoso y violencia sexual, así como también la trata de personas; que nuestros tomadores de decisión sean mujeres o por lo menos que puedan priorizar a las mujeres de cada país; que las guerras ya no sigan; que los problemas de agua potable en varios de los países se solucionen; que la mutilación genital femenina se erradique, especialmente en África; que haya más comprensión hacia las mujeres, niñas, adolescentes y jóvenes para nuestro desarrollo integral y profesional; que las barreras lingüísticas no impidan un acercamiento o alianza intergeneracional, interinstitucional o entre países; que los índices de desnutrición y pobreza se hayan erradicado, o por lo menos hayan disminuido en el mundo; y que haya equidad de género en todos los países, sin que las mujeres discriminen a los hombres y sin que los hombres discriminen a las mujeres.”
“I hope that for us—girls, adolescents, and young women—there will be better education and comprehensive healthcare; that violations of our rights will be eradicated; that harassment and sexual violence, as well as human trafficking, will decrease; that our decision-makers will be women or at least prioritize the women of each country; that wars will cease; that the issues of access to clean drinking water in various countries will be resolved; that female genital mutilation will be eradicated, especially in Africa; that there will be greater understanding toward women, girls, adolescents, and young women for our comprehensive and professional development; that language barriers will not prevent intergenerational, inter-institutional, or international collaboration and alliances; that malnutrition and poverty rates will be eradicated or at least significantly reduced worldwide; and that gender equality will exist in all countries, without women discriminating against men and without men discriminating against women.”
—Ixchel Lucas, human rights defender, Guatemala
What should the next generation of feminist leaders prioritize in order to create a more just and equitable world? What’s most important?
“Supporting each other, across borders, issues, and even as we work through disagreements. Our history tells us that is how you build strong movements and transform the world.”
—Sia Nowrojee, associate vice president, Girls & Women Strategy, UN Foundation
“I would still encourage young women who care about women's rights and gender equality to engage in UN processes. After all, it's where I learned about power and geopolitical realities. I also learned about issues that are fundamental to shaping our lives now and in the future.”
—Peggy Antrobus, founder-member, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)
“My message to young advocates is to move with love, move with this understanding that advocacy requires every individual, and sometimes it even requires us to reach out to communities that have excluded our own. And we can’t do that without love.”
—Zahra Al Hilaly, former Beijing +25 Youth Task Force member
“The next generation of feminist leaders must prioritize the inclusion and amplification of transgender women’s voices. They must actively challenge transphobia within feminist spaces and work to create environments that are safe and welcoming for all. Leaders should prioritize education and advocacy around intersectionality, and push for policies that protect and empower all womxn in their diversities. They should also prioritize the mental and physical safety of marginalised women, as the majority of us are disproportionately targets of violence. They must lead with empathy, and a true understanding of intersectionality, and they must be willing to listen to and learn from the experiences of womxn in all their diversities.”
—Nana Millers, executive director, Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda
“The next generation of feminist leaders should commit to working together, showing grace to those who may marginally disagree with them and finding common ground …to create a revitalized and coordinated global women’s movement. I would like to see them bridge divides between the national and the international, across sectors and issues to create a joint front against any opposition.”
—Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta, former ambassador at large for global women’s issues, U.S. Department of State
“We are facing a huge systemic shift, and we need leaders that are able to sift through the rubble and galvanize our collective power to fight against the multiple oppressions we are facing. Our next generation of leaders should acknowledge the lessons that have divided us and allowed for the anti-rights and anti-gender ideologies to gain so much ground. Through this reckoning we will have better clarity of what needs to be done to regain our collective power.”
—Sandra Macías del Villar, co-director, Alliance for Feminist Movements
“The next generation of feminist leaders need to be bold, collaborative, and deeply intersectional…We must dare to dream bigger, disrupt deeper, and build bridges across movements. The fight for justice is not just about breaking barriers—it’s about reimagining the world itself.”
—Nyasha Musandu, communications lead, Alliance for Feminist Movements
“Pues yo le diría [a una niña, adolescente o joven defensora] que tendría que ser una niña, adolescente o joven persistente, inteligente, sabia en algunas ocasiones, y sobre todo que no dejara a un lado su niña interior, su vida, su experiencia; porque en base a eso buscará soluciones que le permitan crear un futuro mejor para las demás niñas y adolescentes y jóvenes que vienen detrás de ella.”
“Well, I would tell [a girl, adolescent, or young advocate] that she should be persistent, intelligent, and wise at times, but above all, that she should never set aside her inner child, her life, and her experiences. Because based on that, she will seek solutions that allow her to create a better future for the girls, adolescents, and young women who come after her.”
—Ixchel Lucas, human rights defender, Guatemala
“Collective care for ourselves and our work, and meaningful relationships and friendships within and between our movements. And remembering that our liberation is bound up in each others’ – as aboriginal artist, activist, and academic Lilla Watson said at the 1985 Nairobi Conference.”
—Stephanie Oula, director, UN and Civil Society Engagement, Girls & Women Strategy, UN Foundation
“Siento que deberíamos priorizar el apostar a tener una visión interseccional en TODO, hemos tenido avances significativos en el movimiento pero también muchas nos hemos quedado atrás, debemos priorizar tener una agenda feminista pero que a la vez sea antiracista, anticapacitista, no adultocentrista, también, ante el avance de discursos anti derechos, debemos trabajar en impulsar nuestras agendas a nivel local e internacional.”
“I believe we must prioritize adopting an intersectional approach in everything we do. While we have made significant progress in the feminist movement, many of us have been left behind. We need to advocate for a feminist agenda that is also anti-racist, anti-ableist, and non-adultist. Additionally, in response to the rise of anti-rights rhetoric, we must focus on advancing our agendas at both the local and international levels.”
—Alejandra Koyoc González, feminist activist, Mexico
“This is the moment to unite. If not now, then we are moving into a crisis that many of us cannot come back from, and this is also the case where we need to understand that our goal should be on our collective liberation. Our fights are tied. Our oppressors are, in a way, connected, and once we recognize that, that's when we will truly unite. It's not just Global South-Global North—we're fighting the same systems.
“Also, move the money to the hands of young feminists, because if that's where the fire of the revolution is, then you need to make sure that it's being sustained, and that comes with moving the resources.”
—Ayshka Najib, youth climate justice activist, Fridays for Future (MAPA)
There hasn’t been a UN World Conference on Women in 30 years. If you could design the next global feminist convening, what would its focus be?
“I’d love for it to focus on paradigm shifts – big and bold ideas for feminist futures – with a heady dose of community care and room for joy.”
—Stephanie Oula, director, UN and Civil Society Engagement, Girls & Women Strategy, UN Foundation
“I would like to see the next convening focus on the basics -- translating into policy commitments the old promise of leaving no one behind….At such a convening, the next Platform for Action should specify actions to address the ways in which gender intersects with fundamental global issues, such as peace and conflict; humanitarian aid; migration; the water and energy crisis; climate justice and social marginalization.
“In addition, it must identify ways to harness technological advances to address gender-related inequalities, meet women’s gender-specific needs, change gender norms and attitudes, and close gaps in education, economic opportunity, safety and political leadership.”
—Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta, former ambassador at large for global women’s issues, U.S. Department of State
“The organizations and individuals that weave the fabric that makes feminist movements thrive are constantly on the grind. We are constantly responding to backlash or focused on supporting the needs of our community. We need space to truly build the next phase of what comes next…to build the feminist futures we have dreamed of for decades. We have been realizing them, but at a great cost, and we need the moment to recharge…and build our future.”
—Sandra Macías del Villar, co-director, Alliance for Feminist Movements
“The next global feminist convening would be titled 'Resisting Regression: Sustaining Feminist Gains in the Face of Rising Authoritarianism.' Its core focus would be on building resilient, intersectional movements capable of safeguarding and advancing women's rights amidst the global crackdown. The agenda would prioritize strategic planning and skill-sharing, including workshops on digital security, legal challenges to regressive policies, and community organizing in hostile environments.
“There would be dedicated time for healing and collective care, recognizing the emotional toll of activism in these challenging times. The overarching goal would be to equip participants with the tools and networks necessary to defend hard-won gains and build a more just and equitable future for all womxn.”
—Nana Millers, executive director, Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda
“Mí enfoque sería no más un mundo sin nosotras, en donde se priorice el escuchar a las mujeres de las periferias, sus vivencias, sus sentires, y se reconozca su trabajo; constantemente vemos encuentros y eventos donde se habla de nosotras pero sin nosotras presente, de manera personal veo como se habla de México y que, al yo ser del sureste reflejan una realidad que dista mucho de la mía ya que muchos avances aún no llegan aquí, y se que muchas compañeras más alrededor del mundo se sienten así.”
“Less talk and more action. Feminism isn't just a philosophy, it's about action. We need to focus on how we support each other in the many battles we wage on multiple fronts.”
—Alejandra Koyoc González, feminist activist, Mexico
“I want to see a future where young girls—like me when I first entered this space—are able to come to the forefront of these gender-equality movements and share their stories with such passion and truth and to continue to call on their communities and global spaces to hear their voices. Spaces like the United Nations are not perfect, but they are a pivotal point for building community. I’ve built so many communities I’m proud to be a part of today, and I want that for every girl.”
— Zahra Al Hilaly, former Beijing +25 Youth Task Force member
““Our Global Community for Justice.” Bringing girls and women and allies together from all corners of the world to share their expertise, ideas, and creative power on how to make this a more just, healthy, and sustainable world.”
—Sia Nowrojee, associate vice president, Girls & Women Strategy, UN Foundation