The « SHE & Rights » (Sexual Health with Equity & Rights) session, held ahead of the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP 2025) in Bogota, issued an urgent call for accountability and action following the 80th United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) that commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
The session, hosted by Shobha Shukla, CNS Executive Director and SHE & Rights Host, highlighted slow and uneven progress on gender equality and noted attempts to roll back hard-won rights, particularly mentioning the U.S. government’s categorical statement at the UNGA that it does not recognize a « constitutional or international right to abortion. »
Comprehensive Sexuality Education at the Core of Transformation
A central theme of the discussion was the recent Asia-Pacific regional multi-stakeholder dialogue on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE).
Sai Jyothirmai Racherla, Deputy Executive Director of the Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), stressed the critical importance of CSE as a life skill for adolescent and youth well-being. The September 2025 event in Bangkok, co-hosted by ARROW, UNESCO, UNICEF, and UNFPA, was a significant milestone, bringing together Ministry of Education officials from 20 countries in the South Asia and Southeast Asia region.
The dialogue focused heavily on the role of teachers as « crucial enablers » of CSE. Key recommendations included investing in high-quality, inclusive pre- and in-service teacher training, incorporating whole-school and gender-transformative approaches, and leveraging digital innovations for flexible, scaled learning. Emphasis was also placed on addressing the psychosocial health and well-being of the teachers themselves.
Youth as Co-creators, Not Just Beneficiaries
Zuzan of Y-PEER Laos and Y-PEER Asia Pacific Centre insisted that Beijing+30 must be a call to action for the future. She relayed the unified youth voice demanding CSE that is inclusive, rights-based, and adaptable to diverse realities.
« Young people were asking for not just to be seen as beneficiary but to be recognised as co-creator, partner and decision maker in shaping our own future. »
Zuzan also called for the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to personalize and make CSE content more accessible, potentially through confidential chatbots. To ensure accountability, youth participation must be institutionalized through mechanisms like youth advisory roles and youth-led monitoring committees.
Defending Civic Space and Bodily Autonomy
Shiphrah Belonguel, Global Advocacy Officer at Fòs Feminista (International Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice – SRHRJ), provided an update on the revitalization of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which was adopted by consensus by ECOSOC.
She noted the revitalization will institutionalize crucial practices, including High-Level Meetings on violence against women starting at CSW70 in 2026, and strengthen civil society participation. However, she expressed deep concern over the trend of some Member States « twisting gender equality language to push for more pronatalist agenda ».
Belonguel also warned against the UN80 Initiative, launched by the Secretary-General to reform the UN, fearing that gender equality mandates are « at risk of being de-prioritised in the name of austerity and efficiency » amid rising anti-rights influences.
« We have to insist as a community of SRHR advocates that women’s rights, bodily autonomy and reproductive justice are not negotiable ».
Critical Look at the UN System and Hope in Young Leaders
Dr Pam Rajput, Professor Emeritus and founder of the Centre for Women’s Studies and Development, and a renowned feminist leader, welcomed the focus on teachers’ well-being. She expressed frustration over rights regression and raised fundamental questions about the efficacy of the UN system and international judicial institutions in the face of events like the « Gaza genocide » and the suffering of women in the Ukraine-Russia war.
For Dr. Rajput, the challenge is now about saving what has been gained: « We cannot lose what we have achieved in terms of gender equality and human rights ». She placed her trust in the next generation:
« We look to the young leadership… how to see to it that what we have gained at least we don’t regress. »
ICFP 2025 as the Next Platform for Action
Dina Chaerani, Host of Sex O’Clock News (FPNN) and YIELD Hub, invited the community to ICFP 2025 (November 1-6) in Bogota, an event that hit a record 5,174 abstract submissions. The scientific program will feature emerging topics like Climate SRHR and integrate youth leadership into the core agenda.
The conference will also increase accessibility, with live streaming of plenaries and selected sessions to YouTube, ensuring those who cannot attend physically can still follow the proceedings.
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