Women-Led Organizations in Crisis: UN Warns of Widespread Shutdowns Amid Funding Cuts

Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

May 15, 2025 – A new report from UN Women, released this week, reveals a deepening crisis for women-led and women’s rights organizations operating in some of the world’s most fragile settings. Based on a global survey conducted in March 2025 that reached over 400 organizations across 44 countries, the findings paint a stark picture: 90% of respondents report that recent funding reductions have directly impacted their operations, and nearly half say they are at risk of shutting down within six months.

These organizations—often on the front lines in conflict zones, disaster-stricken areas, and regions of acute poverty—provide lifeline services to women and girls, including access to income support, food distribution, healthcare, legal aid, and safe spaces. The threat of closure is not only a setback for women’s rights—it’s a humanitarian emergency in the making.

When women and girls lose access to these services, the risks escalate dramatically. Gender-based violence, exploitation, early marriage, transactional sex, and unsafe migration become increasingly common coping strategies. The report highlights that marginalized groups—migrants, refugees, Indigenous women, older women, women with disabilities, and LGBTIQ+ individuals—will be the hardest hit. These communities already face barriers to accessing mainstream humanitarian aid and will now confront even greater exclusion and danger.

The funding cuts have also intensified competition, with 62% of surveyed organizations reporting a struggle to secure increasingly scarce resources. A staggering 77% predict a significant decline in the number of operational women’s rights NGOs in the coming months. Yet despite the growing challenges, these organizations are not retreating.

In the face of adversity, women-led groups are demonstrating resilience and ingenuity. Many are pursuing new donors, diversifying funding streams, and engaging in strategic planning and advocacy. There’s a mounting push for long-term sustainability models that reduce dependence on external funding and strengthen grassroots capacity.

Still, the need for urgent international support is clear. As crises multiply—from armed conflict to climate disasters—cutting off funding to women-led organizations risks silencing some of the most effective and trusted voices in humanitarian response.

As the UN warns, the global community must act swiftly to protect these organizations—not just for their sake, but for the countless women and girls they serve.