UN Women Conference Under Fire for Ideological Focus

On Sept. 22, 2025, the United Nations will hold a high-level meeting commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. Critics argue the event risks perpetuating a distorted agenda.

In 1995, the Catholic League was denied NGO status by the UN Representative on Accreditation, despite being listed in the “Official Catholic Directory.” Meanwhile, Catholics for Choice, an anti-Catholic organization advocating abortion rights, secured recognition. At the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Holy See delegation, led by Harvard law professor Mary Ann Glendon, opposed efforts to redefine family structures, rejecting proposals that equated non-traditional relationships with familial units.

The current controversy centers on Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women and under-secretary-general of the United Nations, who will preside over the 30th-anniversary celebration. Her selection has drawn scrutiny given Jordan’s poor record on women’s rights. Jordanian women face systemic discrimination in marriage laws, yet the UN prioritizes issues like abortion and LGBTQ+ advocacy over pressing global challenges.

The organization’s focus on Western-centric priorities, such as contraception and gender ideology, ignores the fundamental struggles of women worldwide. Bahous’ delayed condemnation of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks—during which Israeli women were kidnapped, raped, and murdered—further highlights a disconnect from urgent humanitarian concerns.

Dr. Bill Donohue, president and CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, argues the UN’s approach undermines its stated mission of advancing gender equality.