Rising anti-rights pushbacks spur renewed call for action on gender equality, sexual rights

By A Representative 

At a time when rising anti-rights and anti-gender movements threaten decades of progress toward equality, advocates and educators across Asia and the Pacific are uniting to reaffirm the critical role of teachers in advancing adolescent health, well-being, and gender equality through comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). The recent SHE & Rights session, held ahead of the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) 2025 in Bogotá, Colombia, brought together educators, youth leaders, civil society representatives, and policymakers to demand accountability and renewed action for CSE and gender justice.

“Though comprehensive sexuality education is such a taboo, it is an important aspect of adolescents, children and young people's well-being,” said Sai Jyothirmai Racherla, Deputy Executive Director of the Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW). “Every child, adolescent, and young person, regardless of who they are and where they live, deserves an opportunity to learn and develop skills that will enable them to make safe and confident choices about their lives – and comprehensive sexuality education is one such life skill.”

ARROW, together with UNESCO, UNICEF, UNFPA, Education International, the SDG-4 Youth and Student Network, and Y-PEER Asia Pacific, organized the Asia Pacific Multistakeholder Dialogue on transforming teachers and teaching for adolescent health, well-being, and gender equality. The event brought together over 160 participants, including government officials from 20 countries, ministries of education, youth advocates, and academics, marking a significant milestone for advancing adolescent health through education.

According to Racherla, the dialogue emphasized that teachers are crucial enablers of CSE. “Global research shows teachers are the most important school-related factor affecting students’ learning. Providing comprehensive sexuality education not only improves life skills but enhances learning outcomes across subjects,” she said. She further stressed the need for investing in inclusive pre- and in-service teacher training that mandatorily includes CSE, while also focusing on the psychosocial well-being of teachers themselves.

Feminist academic Dr. Pam Rajput, Professor Emeritus and Founder of the Centre for Women’s Studies and Development at Panjab University, welcomed the focus on teacher well-being. “As a feminist and a teacher, I am so happy that this meeting recognized teachers’ concerns and interests. I stand with you,” she said, underscoring that healthy, well-supported teachers are essential for delivering meaningful education.

Youth participation emerged as another central theme of the dialogue. Zuzan of Y-PEER Laos emphasized that young people must not only be consulted but be recognized as co-creators and decision-makers in shaping CSE policies and programmes. “Teachers are not just knowledge providers but role models who can inspire values of equality, respect, and empathy,” she said. “Youth participation should go beyond consultation – it must include youth-led accountability mechanisms.”

The discussions also connected global advocacy efforts, especially in the wake of the 80th United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting commemorating 30 years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. “Beijing Declaration affirmed that the rights of women and girls are human rights,” said Shobha Shukla, Executive Director of CNS and host of SHE & Rights. “But progress has been slow and uneven. No nation has achieved full equality for women, girls, and gender-diverse people.” She raised concerns over recent attempts, notably by the United States, to weaken global commitments to gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Echoing this, Shiphrah Belonguel of Fòs Feminista, co-convener of the Women’s Rights Caucus, highlighted ongoing efforts to defend the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) as a vital normative platform. She outlined key advocacy goals: protecting CSW’s mandate, safeguarding its ambitious framework for gender equality, and ensuring robust civil society participation. “Our priority is to keep feminist movements inside these processes, ensuring UN reform strengthens—not sidelines—gender and human rights,” she said.

Speakers also warned against growing “anti-gender” narratives that link women’s rights to pronatalist or fertility-driven agendas. “We must be clear that women’s rights, bodily autonomy, and reproductive justice are non-negotiable,” said Shiphrah. “Family planning must never be reduced to demographic control.”

Reflecting on global conflicts, Dr. Pam Rajput drew attention to the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Ukraine. “We have to question what international justice means if gender-based atrocities during war go unpunished,” she said, calling for accountability and leadership that upholds women’s rights globally. “We are demanding that the next UN Secretary-General be a woman—but one who is free of regressive forces. We cannot afford to lose what we have achieved.”

Looking ahead, the ICFP 2025 is set to be the largest family planning conference ever, with more than 5,000 abstract submissions and youth-led pre-conference sessions. “ICFP 2025 is seeing new themes emerge, from climate and SRHR to civic space and financing,” said Dina Chaerani of the Family Planning News Network. “Youth leadership has moved to the core of the programme, with young people leading entire sessions.”

The SHE & Rights session, co-hosted by ARROW, Y-PEER Asia Pacific, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR), and other partners, reaffirmed that teachers, youth, and feminist movements must remain at the heart of advancing comprehensive sexuality education and defending gender equality. In a world facing pushbacks and polarization, the call from Bogota was clear: accountability must translate into action, resources, and unwavering commitment to the rights and dignity of all.