How U.S. Political Power Fuels Gender Violence Across the Globe

GLG Insights | Sabrina K. Garba | April 29, 2025

Gender-based violence isn’t just a local or individual issue—it’s shaped by global systems. Politics, economics, and culture all play a role in sustaining or challenging the conditions that put women and marginalized communities at risk. As a dominant political and economic power, the United States significantly influences these systems—often in ways that contribute to harm, whether intentionally or not.

Across conflict zones, informal labor economies, and digital media, we see a consistent pattern: U.S. policies and cultural exports can either support global gender justice—or undermine it.

Conflict, Minerals, and U.S. Accountability

Take the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), often called the "rape capital of the world" due to systematic sexual violence used as a tactic of war. Armed rebel groups—many funded by the illicit mineral trade—continue to use gender violence as a weapon of power. The minerals they extract, such as coltan and cobalt, are essential to the global tech supply chain.

Despite efforts like the Dodd-Frank Act’s Section 1502, which aimed to curb the use of conflict minerals, enforcement has lagged. U.S. companies still benefit, directly or indirectly, from unstable economies and weak labor protections that allow this violence to persist.

Organizations like Panzi Foundation, founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Denis Mukwege, offer holistic healing and legal support to survivors in the DRC—and serve as a model for survivor-centered international policy.

Economic Policy and the Feminization of Poverty

Beyond war, U.S.-backed financial structures—such as IMF-led structural adjustment programs—have led many Global South governments to reduce spending on social services. In these environments, women are disproportionately affected, losing access to healthcare, education, and legal protections.

Labor exploitation becomes normalized when sweatshops, often serving U.S. brands, operate without accountability. Across Latin America, Asia, and Africa, women endure unsafe working conditions, harassment, and wage theft.

Groups like MADRE, a global women’s human rights organization, provide direct support to grassroots women's groups in countries impacted by economic violence. Their advocacy pushes for economic systems that center care, justice, and sustainability.

Cultural Exports and Global Norms

The U.S. also influences gender violence through cultural power. Media, entertainment, and social platforms frequently amplify narratives that normalize sexual objectification, dominance, and misogyny.

At the same time, some U.S.-based religious and political organizations export anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-feminist ideologies abroad, funding campaigns that restrict gender rights in countries like Uganda, Brazil, and Hungary.

In response, organizations like Feminist Majority Foundation have worked to counter the rollback of women’s rights—domestically and globally—by advocating for reproductive freedom, gender equity, and anti-violence legislation.

Toward a Strategy for Global Gender Justice

If the U.S. is to be a true leader in global gender equity, we need more than policy reform. We need a values shift. One that includes:

• Enforcing conflict mineral regulations that center labor rights and environmental sustainability.

• Reimagining foreign aid to prioritize gender equity and community resilience.

• Holding corporations accountable for gendered labor abuse across supply chains.

• Challenging the narratives we export—whether through politics or pop culture—that uphold dominance, control, and violence.

At the same time, U.S.-based movements like V-Day, founded by playwright and activist V (formerly Eve Ensler), have played a global role in raising awareness around gender-based violence. Through campaigns like One Billion Rising, they’ve galvanized international action and storytelling efforts to end violence against women and girls. While not new, V-Day’s model demonstrates how U.S. cultural influence can be wielded for global solidarity and empowerment—especially when it centers survivor voices and community-led change.

At Glass Ladder Group, we work with organizations to build values-aligned strategies that address the root causes of global inequality. Through research, cultural strategy, and policy advising, we help clients move beyond performative allyship to take meaningful, systemic action.

Let’s reimagine what U.S. influence can look like—from harm to healing.

If your organization is ready to align its global footprint with gender equity, we’d love to support you.