This May 28 – International Day of Action for Women’s Health – activists and social justice movements across the globe are mobilizing in collective resistance to defend and advance sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and justice for all. We demand that governments fulfil their obligations under international human rights mechanisms and prioritize SRHR in development agendas, recognizing that it is not only essential but also inseparable from achieving gender equality, social justice, and sustainable development. We reclaim and assert the right of all women, girls, and gender-diverse people to bodily autonomy. We stand in firm resistance to the growing opposition and their regressive agenda—led by right-wing, nationalist, religious fundamentalist, and authoritarian forces—who seek to control our bodies, spread anti-rights narratives, fuel misinformation, restrict access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, and roll back hard-won gains.

The 2025 May 28 theme, “In Solidarity We Resist: Our Fight, Our Right!” captures the urgency and strength of collective resistance in the face of an alarming global backlash against sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), driven by well-funded and organized anti-rights actors. These attacks are neither isolated incidents nor mere political shifts; they are part of a deliberate, transnational strategy rooted in patriarchy and authoritarianism. Unified by a shared oppressive agenda, these forces seek to control bodily autonomy, silence rights-based movements, and dismantle systems of care and support that uphold SRHR and justice.

The Opposition’s Agenda

Restrictive Laws and Policies

Opposition agendas push for restrictive legal policies that curtail bodily autonomy, limit reproductive rights, and criminalize access to essential sexual and reproductive health services. These legal barriers are often compounded by social stigma, provider refusal rooted in cultural or religious beliefs, and socio-economic challenges that hinder access to safe, legal, and stigma-free abortion care. Even in countries where abortion is constitutionally protected—such as France—access remains uneven. The “double conscience clause,” for instance, allows medical professionals to refuse to perform abortions, and this, combined with online misinformation and mounting pressure from anti-abortion groups, further undermines access.

In more repressive contexts, new laws intensify these barriers. In Iran, where abortion is already effectively banned except in cases of fetal anomaly or risk to the pregnant person’s life, the government has further restricted access by passing a law that shifts the authority to approve therapeutic abortions from the pregnant individual and their doctor to a panel composed of a judge, a medical doctor, and a forensic doctor. This move reinforces state control over reproductive decisions, strips pregnant individuals of agency, and institutionalizes a process that deters timely and safe abortion care.

Meanwhile, a growing number of U.S. states have moved to ban gender-affirming health care and introduce anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, undermining equitable access to quality, evidence-based medical care. As of January 2024, 27 states have enacted laws restricting youth access to gender-affirming care, despite its safety and necessity being affirmed by every major medical association. While other countries experience active regression, in the Philippines, progressive legislation such as the SOGIE Equality Bill has remained pending for over 25 years. Conservative and anti-rights groups continue to delay its passage, preventing legal protections against discrimination for vulnerable populations—including indigenous peoples, youth, persons with disabilities, and the LGBTQIA+ community—especially in accessing basic services, as well as seeking safety and protection.

In 2024, Mali’s Transitional National Council passed a law criminalizing homosexuality, following a similar move by Uganda in May 2023 with the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act—one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws, which includes the death penalty for so-called “aggravated homosexuality.” These laws not only legalize state-sponsored homophobia and transphobia but also intensify stigma, discrimination, and violence against gender-diverse individuals. Such criminalization undermines the fundamental principles of SRHR by denying individuals the right to make informed decisions about their bodies, access inclusive health services, and live free from violence and coercion. When laws promote fear instead of protection, they further marginalize already vulnerable communities, limiting access to lifesaving SRHR services including HIV prevention, mental health care, and gender-affirming treatment.

Funding cuts, Shrinking Civic Space and Targeting Human Rights Defenders

A core strategy of the global anti-rights movement is the deliberate cutting of funding, shrinking of civic space, and attacking human rights defenders to obstruct progress on SRHR and justice. Regressive foreign policies—most notably the reinstatement and expansion of the Global Gag Rule (GGR) by the U.S. administration, have led to significant funding cuts, disrupted essential SRHR services, and triggered a chilling effect on reproductive health advocacy in multiple countries. By prohibiting NGOs receiving U.S. aid from providing or promoting abortion services, the GGR has undermined comprehensive reproductive health care worldwide. The ripple effect of such policies is further amplified by the rise of isolationist nationalism, anti-rights ideologies, and conservative fundamentalism, prompting other donor countries to scale back foreign aid to SRHR programs. This has widened funding gaps and jeopardized critical health systems, particularly across the Global South.

These funding cuts have extended to major global health institutions. Key players such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) have faced significant setbacks in their operations and outreach. The recent decision by the U.S. to withhold funding from UNFPA is expected to have devastating impacts on women, girls, and the health and aid workers serving them—particularly in the world’s most acute humanitarian crises. UNAIDS has projected that if funding through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) were permanently withdrawn, an additional 4 million AIDS-related deaths and 6 million new adult infections could occur by 2029—making the goal of ending AIDS by 2030 virtually impossible. According to a United Nations report, over half of aid organizations serving the world’s most vulnerable women are now at risk of closure within six months due to sustained financial constraints.

Alongside these financial assaults, shrinking civic space has become a prominent and growing threat. Across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and parts of Asia and Africa, governments are increasingly weaponizing “foreign agent” laws to suppress dissent, intimidate civil society, and silence rights-based organizations. India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) imposes penal actions on NGOs receiving foreign funding without official certification. Similarly, Georgia’s newly passed “foreign agent” law echoes legislation in countries such as Slovakia, China, Uganda, and Cambodia. These laws—deemed a preferred tool of authoritarian regimes, and directly target organizations that deliver essential, lifesaving SRHR services and support.

This hostile political and economic environment has also led to the systematic deprioritization of SRHR at the national level. In Argentina, the administration of President Javier Milei has halted the procurement and distribution of essential abortion-related medical supplies, including misoprostol, mifepristone, and manual vacuum aspiration kits—effectively blocking access to safe and legal abortion. Beyond political choices, many governments are further constrained by mounting debt burdens, which severely limit their ability to finance social welfare programs, including health. These economic pressures, coupled with regressive political agendas, are exacerbating inequities in SRHR access and denying millions—especially women, girls, and LGBTQIA+ individuals—their rights to health, dignity, and bodily autonomy.

Moreover, as digital spaces become more central to activism and access to information, technology-facilitated gender-based violence is creating new and insidious threats for those seeking care or advocating for rights online. Human rights defenders are increasingly subjected to coordinated digital harassment, doxxing, surveillance, criminalization, and even physical violence—especially when challenging anti-rights narratives or promoting SRHR.

In the Philippines, the Anti-Terrorism Law has drawn serious criticism for fostering a climate of fear among human rights defenders, particularly those involved in SRHR and women’s rights. Activists, lawyers, journalists, and union leaders are routinely subjected to red-tagging, threats, harassment, and baseless accusations of terrorism—especially those perceived to be aligned with progressive groups. Similarly, Indonesia’s National Army Law has raised concerns over press freedom and the right to free expression, particularly for women and reproductive rights advocates. Such authoritarian measures restrict free speech, criminalize advocacy, and further erode access to fact-based reproductive health information and services.

Co-opting Human Rights Language to Undermine SRHR and Justice

A particularly insidious strategy in the global rollback of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is the co-opting of human rights language to push anti-rights agendas. Terms like “family values” and “cultural tradition” are weaponized to portray the rights of women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and marginalized communities as threats to societal cohesion and national identity. Gender equality, bodily autonomy, and sexual rights are reframed as challenges to the so-called “natural order,” allowing harmful ideologies to be presented as protective measures. By invoking the language of rights and morality, these actors obscure their intent to restrict reproductive freedom and undermine gender and LGBTQIA+ rights under the guise of upholding religious or cultural values. This tactic not only conceals systemic violations but also fosters fear and confusion, weakening public support for progressive reforms.

With the rise of digital technologies, anti-rights actors have found new spaces to challenge progress in SRHR. Although these platforms can be instrumental in promoting access to accurate health information and services, they are also being weaponized to disseminate misinformation, harassment, and control. Anti-rights actors exploit these platforms to launch smear campaigns, censor content, and discredit evidence-based initiatives like comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). Despite CSE being medically accurate, age-appropriate, and culturally sensitive, these groups spread anti-rights narratives to block youth access to critical information. The impact is deeply felt in marginalized communities where access to alternative sources is limited, reinforcing existing inequalities and depriving young people of the tools they need to make informed decisions about their health and futures. 

These harmful efforts have tangible consequences. In Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, teenage pregnancy rates exceed 100 births per 1,000 girls aged 15–19, highlighting the urgent need for accessible and accurate SRHR information. In the Philippines, the government has declared teenage pregnancy a national social emergency, further underscoring the critical importance of safeguarding youth rights to sexual and reproductive education and services. Denying these rights through censorship and misinformation only exacerbates social and economic disparities. Moldova once led Eastern Europe in reproductive healthcare by pioneering telemedicine abortion services, offering safe, confidential, and accessible care to women, especially in rural areas. However, the recent ban on these services—prompted by an unscientific petition—undermines women’s rights and disregards international health guidelines, highlighting the urgent need to restore and protect abortion access.

Compounding these challenges is the growing trend to erase inclusive language from public discourse. Efforts to remove words like “women,” “feminism,” “advocates,” and “activist” from official documents signal a broader attempt to delegitimize and silence the movements working for gender justice and SRHR. This erasure is not merely symbolic—it reflects a deliberate campaign to dismantle the visibility, power, and progress of historically marginalized groups and the people defending their rights.

Neglecting Intersectionality of SRHR 

A key manifestation of the opposition’s agenda is the systematic neglect of intersectionality within sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Overlapping systems of oppression—such as gender, race, class, socio-economic status, disability, and geography—compound the barriers individuals face in accessing essential services. Marginalized communities, including those living in poverty or in geographically isolated areas, as well as women, LBTQIAP+ individuals, sex workers, Indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities, are disproportionately affected. These groups experience multiple forms of violence and discrimination, which are often reinforced by harmful cultural norms and exclusionary policies.

For example, LBTQIAP+ individuals frequently face criminalization, stigma, corrective rape, denial of justice, and lack of access to gender-affirming care. Indigenous peoples often suffer from land grabbing and environmental degradation, while their Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) are routinely dismissed or undermined. People with disabilities encounter systemic barriers in accessing maternal healthcare and abortion services—ranging from physically inaccessible facilities to discriminatory attitudes among healthcare providers. Meanwhile, those living in poverty or remote areas often cannot access affordable, quality SRH services without incurring financial hardship. The persistent failure to provide inclusive, comprehensive, youth-friendly, and non-discriminatory SRH services not only discourages these populations from seeking care but also results in delayed diagnoses, inadequate treatment, and worsening health outcomes. These compounded challenges perpetuate cycles of inequality and marginalization.

The accelerating climate crisis further illustrates the consequences of this neglect. Climate change disproportionately impacts young people and women, particularly in rural and marginalized communities. For instance, rural women in developing countries face significantly greater economic losses from climate-related events than men. Female-headed households lose about 8% more income due to heat stress and approximately 3% more due to flooding compared to male-headed households—amounting to an estimated $53 billion in additional losses annually. Climate-induced displacement also heightens the risk of gender-based violence and restricts access to SRH services, particularly during humanitarian emergencies. These realities underscore the urgent need for gender-responsive and intersectional approaches in climate adaptation and disaster response strategies.

In conflict zones, the urgency of intersectional SRHR becomes even more pronounced. Women and gender-diverse individuals face systematic and extreme violence, including the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Countries such as Afghanistan, Palestine, Ukraine, Georgia, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo demonstrate how conflict devastates health systems and erodes access to essential SRH services. Facilities are often underfunded, overwhelmed, or intentionally destroyed, leaving survivors without the lifesaving care they need. Without inclusive, trauma-informed, and rights-based SRHR services, survivors of conflict-related sexual violence are forced to navigate recovery alone. Denying SRHR in humanitarian settings is not just a policy failure—it is a violation of basic human rights, occurring at a time when care is most urgently needed.

Neglecting the intersectionality of SRHR not only erodes individual rights but also obstructs progress toward broader development and human rights goals. Sustainable development, climate resilience, and gender equality cannot be achieved without affirming bodily autonomy and addressing the complex, intersecting barriers individuals face. Centering intersectionality in SRHR policies and programming is essential to building a future that upholds the dignity and rights of all people—particularly young people, women, and gender-diverse individuals—regardless of their background or circumstances.

Stories of Resistance and Solidarity in Advancing SRHR

Despite alarming setbacks and growing opposition to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), global justice movements continue to rise in resistance—building solidarity across borders, generations, and sectors. Around the world, activists, communities, and governments are making bold, progressive strides to defend bodily autonomy and advance reproductive justice for all.

One powerful example is Armenia, where on July 12, 2024, the National Assembly passed landmark amendments to the Law on Human Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights. These changes allow medical abortions up to the eighth week of pregnancy to be performed not only in hospitals but also in licensed out-of-hospital settings, significantly expanding access. Similarly, Denmark reformed its abortion laws for the first time in 50 years, extending the legal timeframe to 18 weeks and enabling girls aged 15 to 17 to access abortion services without parental consent—an essential affirmation of young people’s autonomy and agency.

Across the globe, progressive shifts in abortion legislation underscore the impact of collective, sustained advocacy led by feminist movements, grassroots organizations, and human rights defenders. In more than 60 countries—including India, Mexico, Tanzania, and Benin—governments have responded to persistent calls to recognize safe abortion as a fundamental human right. These legal reforms affirm what advocates have long emphasized that access to safe and legal abortion is not solely a matter of public health, but a crucial issue of justice, bodily autonomy, and gender equality.

Significant milestones in 2022 marked a wave of progress for reproductive rights globally. In February, Colombia’s Constitutional Court made headlines by decriminalizing abortion up to 24 weeks, a milestone for the “green wave” movement advocating for reproductive justice across Latin America. A month later, Kenya’s High Court ruled against abortion-related arrests and prosecutions, strengthening legal protections for reproductive health stakeholders.

Other forms of resistance go beyond legal reform and target the broader systems of stigma, misinformation, and structural inequality. France, for instance, is implementing mandatory, age-appropriate sex education in schools beginning in September 2025, covering essential topics such as consent, gender identity, emotional well-being, and the impact of online pornography. Meanwhile, Scotland became the first country in the world to enshrine the right to free period products into law under the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act—an unprecedented step toward combating menstrual stigma and period poverty.

Progress on SRHR is also closely tied to broader struggles for gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights. In Greece, a historic vote on February 15, 2024, legalized same-sex marriage and adoption, making it the first Orthodox-majority country to do so—an affirmation of equality and family rights. Thailand followed suit by enacting its marriage equality law, which took effect on January 22, 2025, positioning itself  as a trailblazer for LGBTQIA+ rights in Asia. Amidst global funding cuts and regressive policies, Australia reaffirmed its international leadership by launching its International Gender Equality Strategy in early 2025, reinforcing its commitment to feminist foreign policy and intersectional development.

These global milestones remind us that resistance is not only possible—it is thriving. Each victory represents years of struggle, courage, and coalition-building. They also reaffirm the transformative power of collective action, especially in the face of organized opposition and rollbacks.

At this critical juncture, the leadership of young people,women and gender-diverse activists is more crucial than ever. The fight for SRHR and justice requires sustained community engagement, intergenerational organizing, and cross-sector collaboration to dismantle entrenched barriers and reach those most often left behind. 

Speak Up!

The political landscape of 2025 may be complex, but it also presents a crucial opportunity to reclaim space, build and strengthen alliances, and advance a transformative SRHR agenda that prioritizes the health, dignity, and rights of marginalized communities including, young people, women, and gender-diverse individuals in all their diversity. In solidarity, we rise in collective resistance against these attacks and regressions, boldly affirming that this is our fight, for our rights.

This May 28, we call upon governments, and institutions to:

• Integrate SRHR and human rights into national laws and policies to ensure alignment with international commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals. Translate these policies into concrete, accessible services and programs that drive meaningful change, especially in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) and marginalized communities.
• Cease all military hostilities and end unjust conflicts and occupation, prioritize peace processes that uphold human rights, dignity, and the well-being of all affected communities.
• Ensure inclusive and equitable leadership by mandating meaningful participation of women, young people, LGBTQIA+, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities in policymaking bodies.
• Decriminalize abortion and uphold the human right to safe, legal, and stigma-free reproductive healthcare for all.
• Guarantee funding for SRHR services and invest in gender-transformative, inclusive health systems that prioritize the needs of marginalized communities.
• Protect civic and digital spaces to ensure that human rights defenders, journalists, and healthcare providers are free from censorship, harassment, and violence, both online and offline.
• End discriminatory laws and systemic practices that exclude or criminalize people based on SOGIESC, age, race, class, or disability.
• Recognize and protect healthcare workers and rights defenders, especially in conflict, post-conflict, and disaster-prone contexts.
• Address SRHR in climate and humanitarian responses, recognizing health and bodily autonomy as non-negotiable human rights.
• Combat misinformation and harmful narratives that fuel stigma and undermine public health by enacting and enforcing policies that penalize deliberate smear campaigns.
• Affirm menstrual dignity as a political and human rights issue by ensuring accessible, affordable, and stigma-free menstrual health, and by eliminating period poverty and structural barriers for all menstruators.

Take action!

• Mobilize and Organize. Activate organizations and advocates at the local, regional, and international levels to mark May 28 through diverse events. Host community teach-ins, forums, marches, vigils, and solidarity caravans centered on women’s health and reproductive justice. Facilitate SRHR workshops for youth, Indigenous peoples, and LGBTQIA+ groups, and create spaces for intergenerational dialogue on bodily autonomy and health.
• Speak Out. Amplify your demands by crafting and sharing powerful messages rooted in your realities. Write open letters, manifestos, or position papers. Publish blogs, op-eds, or zines based on lived experiences. Co-create campaign materials, infographics, posters, explainer videos, and ensure accessibility by translating messages into local languages.
• Lobby and Advocate. Engage government officials and institutions to push for the protection and advancement of SRHR. Submit petitions and policy briefs. Set meetings with legislators or local health offices. Demand increased SRHR funding, support abortion decriminalization, and collaborate with champions and allies in government.
• Bust the Stigma. Lead stigma-busting workshops and community dialogues that debunk harmful myths and challenge gender norms surrounding abortion, menstruation, and sexuality. Create safe spaces for support groups and peer learning circles that promote understanding, empathy, and healing.
• Occupy Online Spaces. Harness digital platforms to lead online activism. Organize virtual rallies, Skeet-a-thons (Bluesky), Instagram takeovers, or TikTok challenges. Use hashtags like #WomensHealthMatters #SRHR4All #May28. Host live discussions via streaming, and create digital content—podcasts, reels, explainer videos—to drive engagement. Launch petitions and online action hubs to mobilize supporters.
• Harness the Power of Stories. Uplift personal narratives from women, advocates, and healthcare workers. Collect stories through interviews, micro-documentaries, podcasts, or community storytelling events. 
• Engage in Artivism. Use creative expression—murals, placards, performances, dance, and music, to amplify calls for SRHR and justice. Organize art therapy sessions and collaborative art-making activities to provide space for healing and reflection.
• Inspire Action. Celebrate local wins, policy change, shifts in social norms, increase awareness. Share insights and strategies from past campaigns through reports, forums, and community storytelling. Use these moments to energize and guide future advocacy.
• Collaborate. Foster cross-movement solidarity with youth, labor, climate, disability, and other rights-based movements. Align regional and global actions for greater impact. Sustained community engagement and cross-sector collaboration are key to dismantling entrenched barriers and reaching those most often left behind.