Global health leaders address gender injustices ahead of WHO's 78th World Health Assembly

By A Representative 

As the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) of the World Health Organization (WHO) approaches in late May 2025, the SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity & Rights) initiative, hosted by the Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI) and CNS, alongside partners IPPF, ARROW, APCAT Media, and WGNRR, held a critical media briefing. 

The session underscored the disproportionate gender-based injustices faced by women and gender-diverse individuals during conflicts and humanitarian crises. A side event, “Delivering on UHC in an Era of Pushback Against Gender Equality and Human Right to Health,” alongside the SHE & Rights Media Awards Ceremony 2024-2025, is scheduled for May 22, 2025. 

Lancet Commission Report: Gender and Health Nexus

The Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health launched a multi-disciplinary report examining the interplay of gender and health to advance equity and social justice. Dr. Ravi Verma, a Commissioner and Executive Director of the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) Asia, emphasized the report’s findings: “We reviewed extensive social, political, legal, and economic literature to assess how capitalism, imperialism, and colonization have shaped gender inequities in health. These historical forces have fueled a humanitarian crisis, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups.” He highlighted that gender-equitable health programs yield broader positive outcomes, beyond merely addressing illnesses.

Afghanistan: Plight of Gender-Diverse Individuals

Parwen Hussaini, a lesbian Afghan and Programme Associate at Roshaniya, an LGBTQI+ rights group, shared her harrowing story. Having escaped Taliban persecution on March 20, 2025, Parwen now faces an uncertain future in Iran. Her partner, Maryam, remains imprisoned and tortured in Afghanistan, alongside transgender individual Maeve, since their failed escape attempt. “The Taliban regime has stripped gender-diverse people of hope and rights,” Parwen said, noting the dire situation for Afghan women, who face severe restrictions on mobility and freedom. Supported by the Peter Tatchell Foundation UK, Parwen’s visa in Iran is at risk of expiring, threatening deportation and potential death penalty in Afghanistan.

Nemat Sadat, CEO of Roshaniya, reported that over 1,000 LGBTQI+ individuals remain in Afghanistan, with 265 safely evacuated to date. He stressed the challenges of securing humanitarian visas from Iran, where 7 million Afghans reside under sanctions, leaving Parwen’s future precarious.

South Sudan: Conflict’s Toll on Marginalized Groups

Rachel Adau, Executive Director of the Women’s Empowerment Centre South Sudan, described how ongoing conflict exacerbates gender-based violence and disempowers marginalized groups, including women, LGBTQI+ individuals, people with HIV, and persons with disabilities. “Women face rampant rape, domestic violence, and displacement, with limited access to justice,” she said. The collapsing healthcare system, lacking basic supplies like gloves and midwives, endangers maternal and child health, discouraging women from seeking care and increasing mortality risks.

Lebanon: War’s Disproportionate Impact

Bertho Makso, Regional Community Engagement & Networks Lead at the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Arab World Regional Office, highlighted the fallout of the Gaza war in Lebanon. Since the conflict began, 4,000 people have been killed, 1.3 million displaced, and the economy has suffered an estimated $11 billion in damages. Marginalized groups—LGBTQI+ individuals, refugees, people with disabilities, and the elderly—bear the heaviest burden, with bombed hospitals and strained local organizations struggling to provide shelter, food, and mental health support.

Global South: Persistent Humanitarian Crises

Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director of the Reproductive Health Network of Kenya, pointed to recurring crises across the Global South—floods, hunger, wars, and conflicts—that disproportionately harm women, girls, and LGBTQI+ communities. “Gender-based violence, disrupted education and healthcare, and risks of sexual exploitation and early marriage are rampant,” she said, emphasizing the urgent need for equitable interventions.

Kenya: Threats to Gender Equality

Munyasia criticized Kenya’s alignment with the regressive Geneva Consensus Declaration and its hosting of a “family values conference” in May 2025, which she warned fuels anti-rights movements. “These groups spread hatred, falsely claiming to restore African values,” she said, noting their well-funded efforts to undermine gender equality. Despite Kenya’s constitutional recognition of intersex persons, Munyasia vowed to hold the government accountable and resist these regressive forces.

Gender Inequality as a Perpetual Crisis

Shobha Shukla, Coordinator of SHE & Rights and Executive Director of CNS, described gender inequality as a daily humanitarian crisis. “No woman or gender-diverse person can claim to have never faced violence or threats,” she said, noting that wars, climate disasters, and religious bigotry amplify these inequities. Quoting The Lancet Commission, she stressed the global “fight of our lives” against anti-gender rhetoric and rights rollbacks.

Dr. Verma added, “Gender justice in health requires disrupting inequitable power dynamics through multi-level strategies, rooted in understanding people’s lived realities, histories, and contexts.”

Call to Action

The briefing concluded with a call for a feminist, gender-just world where equal rights, dignity, and resource access are universal, regardless of caste, creed, or gender identity. Stakeholders urged collective action to end gender inequality and toxic masculinity, aligning with sustainable development goals.