Gender backlash is a function and facilitator of authoritarian politics, emerging from and exacerbated by perceived or actual crises. Reflecting context-specific social and political dynamics, gender backlash takes a myriad of forms, from overt oppression of women and LGBTQIA+ communities, to strategic genderwashing and cooptation. Understanding how the precarity of gender rights can be exploited towards autocratic ends is essential for effective intervention planning and risk management in fragile settings. The research paper identifies three trends of concerns of gender backlash:(1) discursive opposition to gender equality, (2) social and political oppression of women and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, A sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQIA+), and (3) genderwashing and cooptation. This research paper attends to the fact that where this dynamic coincides with authoritarian leadership and systemic fragility, the implications for development cooperation outcomes are significant. The document provides a preliminary exploration of these key trends, drawing from a desk review of pertinent academic research and grey literature on gender backlash, fragility, and authoritarianism.