March 2025 - cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

Back to the past: “The United States government will no longer promote radical ideologies that replace women with men in spaces and opportunities designed for women. Nor will it devastate families by indoctrinating our sons and daughters to begin wars with their own bodies — or each other,” Shrier said on March 14.
by Gunnar Larson 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

Back to the past Circling back to the U.S., it has mounted *a full-court offensive* against gender and diversity <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POrHUo-5KRfbBK_1WFNkKZUKKctC9f51B…>, characterizing it as an insidious effort to promote trans lifestyles and undermine the rights of women. “The United States government will no longer promote radical ideologies that replace women with men in spaces and opportunities designed for women. Nor will it devastate families by indoctrinating our sons and daughters to begin wars with their own bodies — or each other,” Shrier said <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEGnFiBzMoX-i5eFyisz7VQj5OXYHZqq…> on March 14. “In defending Americans from unhealthy and extremist gender ideology, President Trump has made clear we will defend women’s rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male,” he said in the U.S. address to CSW. The U.S. rejoined the Geneva Consensus Declaration <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POpCphgeXlcwK-5u_CbLr-mPkzq0cEhmx…>, a conservative manifesto adopted by 39 socially conservative countries <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEJUhVgJ9xk0iQXJzoyqSpsAE0CyHQmT…>, including Belarus, Hungary, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. The declaration — which was adopted during the first Trump administration — asserts that abortion should never be promoted as a method of family planning, and the nuclear family is the “*natural and fundamental group unit of society* and is entitled to protection by society and the family and the State.” *Background reading:* Inside the global anti-abortion coalition preparing for Trump’s return <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POpCphgeXlcwK-5u_CbLr-mPkzq0cEhmx…> *ICYMI:* The Trump administration takes war on DEI and gender global <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POrHUo-5KRfbBK_1WFNkKZUKKctC9f51B…>

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Maybe Bachelet: Meanwhile, the Gambian activist and regional UN Women ambassador for Africa, Jaha Dukureh, brought her campaign against female genital mutilation and child marriage to New York.
by Gunnar Larson 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

Maybe Bachelet There was also a *shortage of current and former world leaders*, with the notable exception of Iceland’s President Halla Tómasdóttir, who spoke at a side event titled “Women Rise for All: Turning Hope into Action,” hosted by U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet attended the session, presiding at a ceremony unveiling a commemorative U.N. stamp *that promotes greater equality* for women on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing conference. She also hinted she may take a stab at the race for a new secretary-general <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POlMtQCOqxGRuVFKc_yMZ-3khkft3QdVY…>. As a former head of state, Bachelet already enjoys broad name recognition and she has plenty of U.N. experience, having served a term as U.N. high commissioner for human rights. But she is *likely to face an uphill battle* winning over the Trump administration. During Trump’s first term, the U.S. unsuccessfully tried to torpedo <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEKWHS8tXDAWxekIbJIAkOYDCli4u07x…> her bid to become the top U.N. rights official, citing her criticism of Israel and her views on abortion. Meanwhile, the Gambian activist and regional UN Women ambassador for Africa, Jaha Dukureh, brought her *campaign against female genital mutilation and child marriage* to New York. “I stand before you as a survivor of a system that told me my worth was tied to my silence, my obedience, and my ability to endure, to endure female genital mutilation, to endure going from one marriage to the next when I was still a child,” she said <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEICBkXSrYo7_Ykx2BvglXZxN1fn8IE_…> on International Women’s Day at the U.N. General Assembly hall. “But I did not just endure and survive. I resisted. I fought for my freedom, for my daughter’s freedom, and for the freedom of all women and girls who deserve more than to survive.” *Read:* Is the world ready for a woman at helm of the United Nations? <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POlMtQCOqxGRuVFKc_yMZ-3khkft3QdVY…>

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‘Cigar and whisky club’: Having worked on a number of peace processes, Havn recalled routinely encountering what she calls the “cigar and whisky club: it’s like a group of men, sitting in a group, discussing.”
by Gunnar Larson 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

‘Cigar and whisky club’ The *role of women in peacemaking* was a hot topic at the women’s conference, which included a special side meeting on the topic. A young Norwegian diplomat, Anne Melangen Havn, highlighted how little progress has been made globally in putting women at the peace table, saying *only 10% of peace negotiators are women*. Having worked on a number of peace processes, Havn recalled routinely encountering what she calls the “cigar and whisky club: it’s like a group of men, sitting in a group, discussing.” Women, she said, are *often excluded from peace talks*, and even when they are included, they are not let into the room for most sensitive discussions on ceasefires and security arrangements, on the grounds that women don’t have the experience, knowledge, and capacity. But these women, she said, had “much more political experience, technical experience than many of the men that were in the room.” Havn said the landmark U.N. Security Council <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEElwb9vg3GBVlNvj5JoV56xOBal7YSt…> Resolution 1325, which calls for expanding the role of women in the peace and security field, offers *a valuable blueprint for advancing women’s participation*. But in recent closed-door negotiations on a peacekeeping agreement with countries that contribute troops to U.N. peacekeeping missions, the U.S. delegation sought to remove language <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvqXkTWpMxh_…> reiterating support for that resolution. *Scoop:* Trump admin opposes UN commitment to broaden women’s peace role <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvqXkTWpMxh_…>

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Dimmed star power: Actor, entrepreneur, and part owner of a British soccer club Ryan Reynolds was also spotted on the U.N. campus during CSW, though his appearance had nothing to do with women’s rights. He was attending an event about sports and the U.N.
by Gunnar Larson 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

Dimmed star power It wouldn’t be a proper U.N. conference without a few celebrities, but *the ranks of high-profile stars was thinner than usual*. Hillary Clinton — who captured the spirit of the international women’s rights movement by pronouncing “human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights” at Beijing in 1995 — did not attend its 30th anniversary conference. [image: UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Millie Bobby Brown at CSW69]*UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Millie Bobby Brown at CSW69. Photo by: UN Photo / Mark Garten* UNICEF <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEPHT1wHw1A-vtCN1QtWUXYwz5iPHY45…> Goodwill Ambassador Millie Bobby Brown <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEJF31bnbhcGe3WheIH0V-Z-1ArSsd5-…>, the British actress who gained fame in the series “Stranger Things,” headlined an event *promoting girls’ empowerment*. She urged the assembled dignitaries and activists to “do more, fund programs that protect girls from violence, ensure that every girl, no matter where she is born, can go to school and complete her education, give girls access to healthcare, to digital technology, to economic opportunities, and most importantly listen to their voices.” Actor, entrepreneur, and part owner of a British soccer club Ryan Reynolds <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEGpHCwzVH1YkMUgHIY8EnT4jQd2BxFp…> was also spotted on the U.N. campus during CSW, though his appearance *had nothing to do with women’s rights*. He was attending an event about sports and the U.N.

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Reality check: In Ukraine, U.S. foreign aid cuts have caused “severe disruptions” to 72% of 99 women-led organizations that advocate for women”s rights, political participation, and legal and psychological support for victims of conflict-related sexual violence, according to a survey by UN Women. In Yemen, nearly 1 million women are losing access to reproductive health services, according to figures compiled by the U.N. Population Fund.
by Gunnar Larson 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

Reality check The case for women’s rights at these meeting-filled U.N. conferences can seem a bit abstract, in endless debates over the meaning of gender responsiveness and multiple intersecting forms of discrimination. But underlying the rhetoric of women’s rights *is an increasingly harsh reality*, heightened by unprecedented U.S. foreign aid cuts <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvqFAuBSCQOT…> and ongoing conflicts from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Gaza and Ukraine. In Ukraine, U.S. foreign aid cuts have caused “*severe disruptions*” to 72% of 99 women-led organizations that advocate for women”s rights, political participation, and legal and psychological support for victims of conflict-related sexual violence, according to a survey <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEIxeJfbzvjc_kraF8SP2M6fKmPJ8GMk…> by UN Women. In Yemen, nearly 1 million women are losing access to reproductive health services, according to figures compiled by the U.N. Population Fund <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEP2ug7waI9JYzcmn_cwwZjkhel4UhEo…>. And in Ethiopia, 190,000 people, including 134,000 refugees, will lose access to sexual reproductive health and gender-based violence services. The resumption of Israel’s offensive in Gaza brought it home. During the ceasefire, UNFPA, and its partners resumed basic health services for thousands of women. Those gains are *at risk of evaporating*. “A lack of electricity and fuel has disabled hospital operations, and life-saving maternal health medicines have run out, again — particularly dangerous for the one in two pregnant women in Gaza who face a high-risk pregnancy,” UNFPA said in a statement on Thursday. “Portable incubators, ultrasound devices, and oxygen pumps, among other essential equipment, are now stalled at the border.” *Scoop:* UN Population Fund thought it prepared for the worst — it didn’t <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvqFAuBSCQOT…>

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In other news: South Sudan stands on the verge of civil war as political turmoil and escalating violence mount, the U.N. warns. [NPR]
by Gunnar Larson 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

In other news Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands, which have contributed $15 million to USAID for joint development projects, now question *whether the funds will be used as intended or refunded*. [AP <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZsypu3TZ7v3Tj1R3D6lGT7kgtGZTB0CGSWq…> ] *South Sudan stands on the verge of civil war* as political turmoil and escalating violence mount, the U.N. warns. [NPR <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZsypu_-BkwF03mJ3UDw40D2u-pCLKNHNzKi…> ] *Poliovirus has been found in sewer samples* from 18 districts in Pakistan. [Dawn <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZsypu09jOyOf62W1mLKMfZg4xnc9-OHiUSg…> ]

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A numbers game: CGD says it is likely that only around 34% of all USAID awards, by dollar value, have been terminated, though it cautions that figure comes with several caveats, including that the lists have not been verified.
by Gunnar Larson 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

*A numbers game* [image: A shipment of USAID-provided ventilators.] <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiOvnGeQ-zn4UTo7PNRd8VUryOJQi28w…> From the beginning of, well, the end of USAID <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZsypu7-eh-4bvgPTBbAfecyO_4B4qeRYSn9…>, everyone has been trying to figure out which contracts and grants got the ax — and which didn’t. The terminations seem to be a constantly moving target <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POrHUo-5KRfbBK_1WFNkKZUL_7wBocjL6…>, and even members of the U.S. Congress have fought <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POoK4CppZ69ugRLYT2C7iMxWV3GpH5vhC…> to pin down a precise list. Leaked lists are floating around LinkedIn, though their provenance hasn’t been established. The State Department has announced that 83% of USAID programming has been eliminated <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POo8HNH4qA6QBf2b2qD0apMeBXMO326iP…>, which adds up to about 5,200 programs, with 1,000 spared. But what if those numbers are off? <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiOvnGeQ-zn4UTo7PNRd8VUryOJQi28w…> Way off? According to the Center for Global Development <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZsypu8PoKfhGYUCq6uHfd4Y0Hhk4wmk4Dg9…> , *far more planned USAID spending may have been retained* than previously thought. The think tank made calculations based on two leaked lists of canceled and retained USAID awards which have been widely circulated in the aid community. CGD says it is likely that only around *34% of all USAID awards, by dollar value, have been terminated*, though it cautions that figure comes with several caveats, including that the lists have not been verified. Still, a picture emerges of sectors that have been the most and least affected. Among those completely or almost completely eliminated are private sector competitiveness; higher education; political competition and consensus building; infrastructure; good governance; basic education; family planning; civil society; conflict mitigation; and trade and investment. *Food, health, and humanitarian aid seem to have seen relatively fewer cuts*, which tracks with recent proposals for a new, narrower focus on U.S. aid <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POuQ58nbdcJsMKAvb_Rc1ILvFezSdX1wv…> . Charles Kenny, a senior fellow at CGD and one of the blog’s authors, was quick to highlight that while his calculations showed things in a better light, it was not all positive. “Compared to the numbers we were seeing, it’s better,” he says. “But it’s a long way from good.” *Read:* Has USAID spending been cut by less than we thought? <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiOvnGeQ-zn4UTo7PNRd8VUryOJQi28w…>

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Anatomy of an aid cut: Some, such as Refugees International, are stepping up by serving as an advocacy voice for groups fearful of ruining their chances to recoup funds they’re owed, or — as Lauren Evans writes for Devex — that are silent because the cuts have left them so drained they lack the bandwidth to even put out a statement.
by Gunnar Larson 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

Anatomy of an aid cut [image: USAID signage is covered at the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C.] <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POm30Zn2t0Ur9HeM9w1dZK35fFNNFW8ny…> Imagine you suddenly lose your right arm. You still have one left — but you’re not exactly in tiptop shape anymore. That’s how Andy Harrington, the executive director of Canadian Foodgrains Bank <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZsypu_gdfLeZUlI5xN4l4iC-ecQkZFXxfn2…>, a non-USAID-funded organization, likens the mass termination of the agency’s programs — only he’s even more graphic: “If you rip off an arm and a leg, or in this case, chop the body in half, that has massive impacts for the infrastructure we need to do our projects,” he says. There are lots of organizations like Harrington’s that don’t take money from bilateral donors. Oxfam America <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZsypu0up4F0qEHiJPZAcHZo4EBWvCfFx8bq…>, for example, decided to forego government funding decades ago to ensure it could advocate freely. But in a delicate, interconnected ecosystem, the ripple effects <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POm30Zn2t0Ur9HeM9w1dZK35fFNNFW8ny…> of the world’s largest donor going under leave no one undisturbed. For one thing, the organizations that were not reliant on USAID dollars *are now being looked to for help by those that were reliant on them*. Some, such as Refugees International <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZsypu4rid4-EFpUkZpa9lyD8rATDMSk5ACd…>, are stepping up by serving as an advocacy voice for groups fearful of ruining their chances to recoup funds they’re owed <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgHnU0AEd8M6o_YcsV5JNktnxJ5zaA-n…>, or — as Lauren Evans writes for Devex — that are silent because the cuts have left them so drained they lack the bandwidth to even put out a statement. The mood seems to be that everyone wants to help in these unprecedented times. Jeffrey Samuel of Direct Relief <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZsypuxV7EeatVSY7mBsXHlGaK6qYf3DwTTm…>, which provides emergency medical assistance around the world, says his organization has been working overtime to communicate unmet needs to pharmaceutical companies. But financially, *filling a $65 billion annual hole left by USAID’s demise* is an untenable ask. As Samuel puts it: “No single entity in the world can plug the gap that’s been left by this.” *Read:* The fall of USAID changed everything — even for those it didn’t fund <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POm30Zn2t0Ur9HeM9w1dZK35fFNNFW8ny…> [image: Pro] <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZsypu69eXorsk0IU5h0BFh9py49wW_JBPol…>

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4th Circ. Revives TM Fight Over 'Westmont' Retirement Homes
by Gunnar Larson 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

4th Circ. Revives TM Fight Over 'Westmont' Retirement Homes <https://www.law360.com/health/articles/2314172?nl_pk=0f5983ea-0173-4e74-85e…> By Ivan Moreno A Virginia federal court incorrectly concluded that there could be no likelihood of confusion between two companies that operate retirement communities with the name "Westmont" because they are on opposite sides of the U.S., the Fourth Circuit said in remanding the case and ordering a more comprehensive analysis on potential consumer confusion. Opinion attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/health/articles/2314172?nl_pk=0f5983ea-0173-4e74-85e…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/health/articles/2314172?nl_pk=0f5983ea-0173-4e74-85e…>

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Voice Of America Staff, Unions Challenge Agency's Shuttering
by Gunnar Larson 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

Voice Of America Staff, Unions Challenge Agency's Shuttering <https://www.law360.com/governmentcontracts/articles/2314395?nl_pk=0fbf612f-…> By Hailey Konnath Journalists and staff with Voice of America on Friday accused their parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, of illegally firing virtually everyone with the government-funded media outlet, a move they said was because the Trump administration perceives their work to be "inconsistent" with the president's "political agenda." Complaint attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/governmentcontracts/articles/2314395?nl_pk=0fbf612f-…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/governmentcontracts/articles/2314395?nl_pk=0fbf612f-…>

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