President Trump administration’s rollback of gender-focused policies and foreign aid cuts—totaling over $8 billion—poses significant challenges for civil society organizations advancing gender equality, reproductive rights, and Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) initiatives. The defunding of these programs deprioritizes gender-inclusive security policies and weakens peacebuilding networks, disproportionately impacting grassroots movements in the Global South. As U.S. foreign policy shifts toward militarization and conservative gender frameworks, civil society must take a proactive stance, moving beyond reliance on Western aid structures. Strengthening South-South cooperation—through regional partnerships, alternative funding models, and cross-border feminist alliances—will be critical in sustaining gender justice efforts. Advocacy groups must mobilize to counter restrictive policies and assert localized development priorities. The international community, particularly multilateral institutions like the EU and the U.N., must step in to bridge funding gaps and reinforce gender-focused programs. This moment demands a fundamental reimagining of civil society’s role—not as passive recipients of aid, but as active agents reclaiming autonomy, shaping policy, and driving sustainable, community-led solutions for gender justice.