Health And Gender Equality Are Indivisible And Fundamental Human Rights

Scoop

19-07-2025

'Right to health cannot be dislocated from gender equality and human rights. We have to ensure that gender equality and human right to health are recognised as fundamental human rights in all countries,' said Lucknow-based Shobha Shukla, who was the Lead Discussant for SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) at the United Nations intergovernmental High Level Political Forum (HLPF 2025) at UN HQ in New York (14-23 July 2025). She was the only Indian on the panel and speaking on behalf of Asia Pacific Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism.
The theme of HLPF 2025 is 'Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no one behind'.
The 2025 HLPF with full appreciation for the integrated, indivisible and interlinked nature of the Sustainable Development Goals, is conducting in-depth reviews of: SDG-3 (ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages); SDG-5 (achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls); SDG-8 (promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all); SDG-14 (conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development); and SDG-17 (strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development).
'Progress towards SDG3, continues to be stunted in the Asia Pacific region, such as on universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights; communicable and noncommunicable diseases; universal health coverage; and access for all to safe, effective, quality and affordable disease prevention tools like vaccines, diagnostics and medicines,' said Shobha Shukla, who earlier taught physics at Loreto Convent College and leads CNS as Founder Executive Director. She is a feminist and development justice leader who coordinates Sexual Health with Equity & Rights (SHE & Rights).
'Gender disparities significantly impact health outcomes and evidence shows that SDG 3 goals cannot be realised without addressing SDG 5 on gender equality. Rise of anti-rights and anti-gender ideologies, including the regressive Geneva Consensus Declaration, the most recent trend of defunding development assistance for gender equality and health, the impact of austerity measures in debt-ridden countries, deprioritisation of health spending, and poor domestic resource allocation on health, are contributing to reversal in progress towards SDG3,' she added.
Sexual and reproductive health and bodily autonomy are critical to deliver on SDG3 and other SDGs
'Essential health services must include sexual and reproductive health services - including safe abortion and post-abortion care, menstrual health hygiene, and mental health services, with particular attention to women, adolescent girls, persons with disability, indigenous peoples, gender diverse communities, older people, young people, migrant workers, refugees, people living with HIV, sex workers, people who use drugs, among others. They must also include all health and social support services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence,' said Shobha Shukla.
Save the medicines that protect us
'All countries must stop misuse and overuse of medicines in all sectors and prevent antimicrobial resistance using the One Health approach,' said Shobha Shukla who serves as Chairperson of Global Antimicrobial Resistance Media Alliance (GAMA).
'WHO FCTC Articles 5.3 and 19 empower governments to make tobacco and nicotine industries liable and pay for the harm they are causing to human health and our planet. All forms of corporate capture of public health policy must end and corporations that are causing harm to human health and the environment must be held liable,' she said.
Gender-transformative reforms of global financial architecture is vital
Gender transformative economic system that is based on rights to justice, care, and equality for everyone urgently. Because most of the countries in the Global South are in the cycles of perennial debt – which they have to keep servicing to international financial institutions. This results into austerity measures which include countries cutting down on public services, access to health services, education services, social protection services, among others.
Governments must suspend patents and lift trade rules that impede access to medicines and medical technologies, said Shobha Shukla. UN Charter and other legally binding treaties like CEDAW, FCTC, etc have to take primacy over trade deals - we cannot let profit override people's interests.
Also, we cannot forget COVID-19 when multilateralism failed the Global South. Vaccines were piled up and expired ones thrown by some rich nations when Global South nations had no dose for example. We cannot have Global North heavy multilateralism.
'Governments also need to address occupational health and provide meaningful 'right to know' to workers, prioritize prevention, and establish exposure limits protective of the most vulnerable populations. All SDG3 targets must be fully-funded and DAC countries (30 developed nations that give aid to developing nations) should fulfill their commitment to official development assistance (ODA) for gender equality and health. At the same time countries must mobilise domestic resources for health,' she added.
Health responses and all public services must be person-centred, gender transformative and rights-based
'We have to ensure that health responses and all public services are people-centred, gender transformative and rights-based for all, without any condition or exclusion,' said Shobha Shukla, lead discussant for SDG3 at HLPF 2025.
'With less than 5 and a half years left to deliver on SDG3, we appeal to governments to step up their actions on gender equality and right to health - where no one is left behind,' she said.