Date: 23rd January 2026, Friday
Time: 3pm IST/Sri Lanka | 12pm South Africa/ Zimbabwe
This session would present how the year 2026 opened with growing backlash against gender equality, like US withdrawal from 66 International organisations such as those working to advance gender equality (including 31 UN entities). Countries like Israel are also towing the US line.
Frontline defenders of health, safety and rights of girls, women and gender diverse peoples continue to protect the gains made and resist such pushbacks. This session will present how in these difficult situations, organisations and networks like PINSAN (Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network) are organising to #DecriminaliseAbortionNow Network Mindanao Launch in Davos.
This SHE & Rights session marks 20th anniversary of Universal Periodic Review (UPR). It will also explore if UPR - a UN Human Rights Council mechanism for reviewing the human rights records of all (193) countries every 4.5 years - can be a critical accountability tool by integrating universal health coverage and fundamental human right to health into UPR recommendations.
3rd Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026 was announced in December 2025 SHE & Rights session. Journalists reporting on issues raised by SHE & Rights are welcome to apply. Award ceremony would be held around Women Deliver Conference 2026.
Speakers:
- Dr Mabel Bianco, noted feminist leader, physician activist and founding president of FEIM (foundation for studies and research on women), Argentina
- Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former Chief Scientist WHO, former ICMR Director General and former Secretary, Department of Health Research, MOHFW, Government of India
- Paola Salwan Daher, Senior Director for Collective Action, Women Deliver
- Pauline Fernandez, Coordinator, Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN)
- Tushar Niroula, gender justice advocate and former Executive Director of Marie Stopes International Nepal
- Dr Virginia Kamowa, Regional and Country Engagement Manager, Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI)
- Shobha Shukla, SHE & Rights Coordinator and host; and Executive Director, CNS
This SHE & Rights session is together hosted by Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI), Women Deliver Conference 2026, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR), Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health, Gender and Development Justice (APCAT Media) and CNS.
Thanks
SHE & Rights
