Raising our Voices: Global Campaigning for SRHR

his 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.

Call to action: https://may28.org/2025-may-28-call-to-action-2/

Campaign resources: https://may28.org/2025-campaign-materials/

Campaign report: https://may28.org/2025-may-28-campaign-report/

Links:

• About Us
• Global Campaign

WGNRR’s dedication to movement building and strengthening is a testament to its belief in the power of collective action. By fostering solidarity, amplifying marginalized voices, and building the capacity of advocates working alongside communities, WGNRR continues to fortify the global fight for SRHR. As challenges persist, WGNRR remains unwavering in its vision: a world where SRHR is universally recognized and realized, and stigma and discrimination are eradicated.
2025 Global Day of Action to Destigmatize Abortions campaign: WGNRR was the co-convenor. We reached over 4.3 million people with this campaign in 2025 and partnered with over 180+ reproductive justice organizations and collectives across the globe!  See this online communications report for more details about the online reach.
Since 2008, WGNRR has been co-convening the global campaign with partners across the world.
We have also reached out to 80+ organisations to moblise for May 28th campaign on International Day on Action on Women's Health and Menstrual Hygiene Health and Dignity.
Here is the website on our Call to Action for May 28, 2025 campaign: https://may28.org/
SRHR is not just a health issue; it is a matter of dignity, freedom, and equality. It is central to achieving gender justice, asserting bodily autonomy, and building inclusive, sustainable futures. Yet, long-standing structural inequities, regressive policies, and the growing influence of anti-rights groups continue to undermine hard-won gains, deepening disparities and denying millions of marginalized communities including, young people, women, and gender-diverse people their fundamental rights.
SRHR cannot be separated from the broader web of injustices that shape people’s lives. The intersecting impacts of climate change, economic inequality, systemic racism, war, and state-sanctioned violence exacerbate barriers to accessing SRHR. In times of conflict and crisis, women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals face heightened risks—including sexual violence, loss of essential health services, and forced displacement. These realities disproportionately affect those already marginalized, compounding existing vulnerabilities and threatening their health, safety, and bodily autonomy. Recognizing these intersectional challenges is essential to advancing a truly transformative and inclusive SRHR agenda.
In 2024, over 70 national elections took place globally, and the effects of these electoral outcomes are already being felt in early 2025—especially in SRHR. The reinstatement of the Expanded Global Gag Rule (GGR), coupled with the rising of right-wing, nationalist, and religious fundamentalist movements, has emboldened efforts to roll back reproductive freedoms and gender equality.
Organizations providing essential SRHR services now face severe funding cuts, resulting in clinic closures, reduced services, and limited advocacy efforts. Simultaneously, anti-rights groups weaponize misinformation and fear, targeting comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), spreading regressive narratives, and blocking progressive legislation. Civic spaces are shrinking in many countries, and SRHR activists are increasingly at risk—facing surveillance, harassment, and violence for defending human rights.
At the international level, the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) concluded in March with the adoption of a Political Declaration by consensus—but it notably excluded key issues such as safe abortion and SRHR. This omission occurs amid a renewed rise in anti-SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression, and Sex Characteristics) rhetoric, threatening the rights of gender-diverse people globally. Additionally, the United States has rejected and denounced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and has withdrawn its affirmation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This move is deeply troubling, as it may further influence other countries to scale back their own commitments—undermining a global framework that has long been a cornerstone of gender equality, health, and inclusive development efforts.
In recent times, there have been deliberate efforts to remove terms like “women,”  “feminism,” “advocates,” “activist” from public-facing websites, official documents and communications. These actions reflect a broader trend of censoring progressive language and rolling back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, aiming to suppress discussions on gender equality, reproductive rights, and related topics.
These challenges remind us that SRHR is inherently political. Our gains are not permanent—they must be defended, and reclaimed continually. Without sustained collective action, progress can be reversed.
Despite this repression, we continue to resist.

Links:

• Call to Action to resist