Health and gender equality are indivisible human rights: Civil society expert at UN meet

By A Representative 

“The right to health cannot be dislocated from gender equality and human rights,” said Shobha Shukla, speaking as the Lead Discussant for SDG-3 (health and well-being) at the ongoing United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF 2025) in New York. Representing the Asia Pacific Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism, she was the only Indian on the SDG-3 panel.

The HLPF 2025, held from 14–23 July at the UN Headquarters, is reviewing key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including SDG-3 (health), SDG-5 (gender equality), SDG-8 (economic growth), SDG-14 (oceans), and SDG-17 (global partnerships), under the theme:

“Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no one behind.”

Shukla, a prominent feminist and development justice advocate based in Lucknow, highlighted how gender disparities continue to impair health outcomes across Asia Pacific, obstructing progress toward universal health coverage, access to affordable medicines, and sexual and reproductive rights.

“Sexual and reproductive health and bodily autonomy are critical to deliver on SDG3 and other SDGs,” said Shukla. “Essential health services must include access to safe abortion, menstrual health, mental health, and post-violence care – especially for marginalized communities like adolescent girls, people with disabilities, gender-diverse individuals, indigenous peoples, refugees, and others.”

She raised alarms over the rollback of gender and health rights due to the rise of anti-rights ideologies, austerity in debt-burdened countries, and the defunding of development assistance. Shukla stressed that corporate interference in public health policy must end, and corporations harming health and the planet must be held accountable.

As Chairperson of the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Media Alliance (GAMA), she called for urgent measures to curb the misuse of medicines to prevent antimicrobial resistance, using the “One Health” approach.

“Save the medicines that protect us,” she urged. “Governments must prevent overuse and enforce accountability through frameworks like WHO FCTC Articles 5.3 and 19.”

Shukla also advocated for gender-transformative reform of the global financial architecture, noting that debt servicing obligations imposed on Global South countries result in cuts to health, education, and social protection budgets.

“We cannot let profit override people’s interests. Trade rules must not impede access to medicines and medical technologies. The UN Charter and treaties like CEDAW and FCTC must take precedence,” she said.

Citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a case of “Global North-heavy multilateralism”, she reminded world leaders of vaccine inequities that left many in the Global South without access, even as doses expired in wealthier nations.

“With just five and a half years left to meet the 2030 Agenda, governments must act urgently to uphold the right to health and gender equality as indivisible and universal human rights,” said Shukla.

She emphasized that health systems and public services must be person-centred, gender-transformative, and rights-based, and urged developed countries to fulfill their commitments to official development assistance (ODA), while domestic resource mobilisation for health must also be prioritized.