A/HRC/38/46 obligations to eliminate discriminatory practices based on stereotyped roles for men or women (see A/HRC/29/40). 14. In recent years, the Working Group has observed how the concept of gender itself has been challenged, misunderstood and misused to further undermine the struggle towards the elimination of discrimination against women and towards gender equality. In this regard, the hostilities against so-called gender ideology, particularly vehement in Latin America and Eastern Europe, exemplify the growing challenges in the quest for equality. Conservative lobbies advocating against gender ideology, presented as a threat to “traditional values”, wrongly see efforts to advance gender equality as the imposition of ideas and beliefs that seek to destroy such institutions as the family, marriage and religious freedom. This movement has been particularly vocal in opposing policies or even debates on issues of scientifically based comprehensive sexuality education in schools, women’s sexual and reproductive rights, marriage equality and gender-based violence. The term “gender” has, for instance, been challenged by the movement against the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention) on the grounds that it imposes gender ideology. These conservative groups argue that international law prohibits only sex discrimination, denying that the term “gender” has been used in international norms and standards since the 1970s. The Working Group recalls that, in its general recommendation No. 28, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women interpreted the prohibition of sex discrimination, as contained in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, as including gender-based discrimination. Attacks against gender ideology are used by conservative actors to oppose the universal applicability of human rights standards on the basis of non-discrimination and to undermine achievements made in the recognition of women’s human rights and in the implementation of gender equality. 2. A new sense of urgency 15. In the past six years, the Working Group has documented the gains made over decades of global advocacy. It has also drawn attention to the remaining gaps and the obstacles to achieve gender equality, particularly due to the rise of movements opposing the universality of women’s rights, contributing to fragmenting and weakening the human rights system. This calls for all actors to unite in an effort to protect, promote and fulfil women’s rights, while fighting against retrogressions. Yet, rising authoritarianism in political governance, economic crises and rocketing inequality and politicization of traditionalist religions have posed considerable challenges to the human rights system. The corrosion of women’s human rights is a litmus test for the human rights standards of the whole of society. 16. Nearly 40 years after the adoption by the General Assembly of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, no country in the world has successfully eliminated discrimination against women or achieved full equality. This should no longer be tolerated or normalized. Today, there is a need to protect the gains from the past and to urgently advance women’s substantive equality, which is crucial for the indivisibility of human rights and for the human development of families, communities and countries. This new sense of urgency has led the Working Group to shed light on issues subjected to particular resistance and to reflect on ways to further strengthen women’s human rights machinery in a collective struggle to eliminate discrimination against women. B. 1. Global context of persistent discrimination and backlashes against women’s rights and the need to strengthen the protection system Acknowledging progress made in advancing gender equality 17. Throughout its work, the Working Group has documented achievements, good practices and the main challenges in the quest for the elimination of discrimination against women. 18. International commitment to fulfilling women’s right to political participation has grown substantially. Over the course of the twentieth century, women’s right to vote has been almost universally implemented. In fewer than two decades after the Fourth World 5