Women Haven’t Felt Less Free To Talk Politics Since 1997

Comment provided by Helen Pankhurst CBE, a senior adviser at CARE International, women’s rights activist, and professor at Manchester Metropolitan University.

According to a global analysis conducted by CARE International, women’s freedom to speak openly about politics has regressed to levels not seen since 1997.

This is part of a regressive trend that has been ongoing since 2012.

“If nothing changes, an expected 1.74 billion women and girls will be subject to restrictions on their freedom to express their political views by 2050,” the report reads.

Here, we spoke to women’s rights activist and great-granddaughter and granddaughter of leading suffragettes Emmeline and Sylvia Pankhurst (respectively), Helen Pankhurst CBE, about the findings.

The CARE analysis suggested that women are, on average, less able to discuss politics openly without fear of harassment.

“These findings should concern anyone who cares about democracy,” Pankhurst said.

“When women feel less able to speak openly about politics, it’s a clear warning sign that civic space is shrinking. This isn’t just about confidence; it reflects growing hostility, restrictions and systemic barriers that are pushing women out of public debate.

“If half the population feels silenced, our politics becomes weaker and less representative. Our democracy is weaker for it. It is a warning light.”

In 2025, the United Nations (UN) said that deadly conflicts, financial cuts, and backlash to women’s rights led to “stagnation and regression” of women’s freedoms.

In 2024, UN Women said that one in four countries reported “backlash” on hard-won women’s rights.

Pankhurst thinks this rings true.

“Broadly speaking, we are seeing a rollback. After years of slow progress, women’s rights are stagnating or reversing in too many places,” she said.

“The backlash is real, from attacks on reproductive rights to rising online abuse and cuts to funding for women’s organisations.”

The women’s rights activist stressed that the UK “is not immune.

“We’ve seen a deterioration in the tone of political discourse, increasing harassment of women in public life, and policy decisions that risk undermining hard-won gains.

“Progress isn’t inevitable, and it absolutely cannot be taken for granted. Each step forward is hard-won, progress needs to be defended, and much more work is needed to ensure we don’t turn back the tide on our freedoms.”