History in making as governments draft a legally binding Treaty for rights of older persons

This is indeed a historic first when governments come together to draft a legally binding possible treaty to protect the human rights of older persons. The first ever historic Inter Governmental Working Group (IGWG) meeting to protect the rights of older persons was held recently. IGWG was created by the UN Human Rights Council in April 2025 and given the mandate to draft a legally binding UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.

[video] Gender equality now: SHE & Rights session ahead of CSW70 and International Women's Day

[video] People Over Profit?

[video] Mainstream development justice framework for health, gender, climate, social, and economic justices and accountability to peoples

SHE & Rights ahead of CSW70 and International Women's Day

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Next SHE & Rights session will be held on 26th February 2026, Thursday, ahead of International Women’s Day (8th March) and 70th Session of the UN Commission on Status of Women or CSW70 (9-19 March) as well as during the intergovernmental Asia Pacific People’s Forum on Sustainable Development and intergovernmental APFSD (Thailand).

More of the same model would fail us even more on SDG goals and targets

More of the same model would fail us even more on sustainable development goals and targets. With 58 months left to deliver on SDG goals and targets for 2030, the pledge of “leave no one behind” would become even more unfulfilled if we do not make tectonic, transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated shifts and actions, said noted feminist leader Sai Jyothirmai Racherla while delivering the keynote address at Asia Pacific Youth Forum on Sustainable Development, ahead of the intergovernmental meeting to review progress on specific goals and targets in Asia and the Pacific region.

Ending female genital mutilation/cutting is not charity but justice

"My journey on ending female genital mutilation/cutting did not begin in an office. Instead, my journey began when I knew where the shoe hurts the most. So, speaking from a perspective of personal experience and pain, some years back when I was a very young girl, I was subjected to female genital mutilation/cutting. That was the first turning point of my life because the pain and psychosocial trauma is so very raw even today in my head. But now I take it as an opportunity to save more than a thousand girls that I have known and who have passed through my hand but never underwent the cut,” said Catherine Menganyi HSC, nurse epidemiologist, and Co-Founder and Chapter Lead of Women in Global Health, Kenya. Catherine is a survivor of female genital mutilation/cutting and a powerful advocate to end it, as well as all other forms of gender-based violence.

SHE & Rights: Zero Tolerance for female genital mutilation/cutting | SC ruling on menstrual hygiene | prevent #BreastCancer

Fortify accountability fulcrums like UPR to deliver on gender equality and right to health

Accountability is critical when it comes to ensuring that promises made by the governments translate into ground realities “where no one is left behind.” Without robust accountability mechanisms, we risk failing on goals and targets, such as those enshrined in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or other legally binding treaties, like Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), agreements, declarations and other global, regional or national commitments.

[video] Survivor of female genital mutilation/cutting speaks: International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM/C

When AI serves the underserved by bridging access gaps and linkage to health services

If one assumes that artificial intelligence (AI) is for the ‘haves’ and not ‘have-nots,' then let us dive deeper into how AI is helping reach the unreached populations with state-of-the-art public health services. Not just Global North, but several countries of the Global South too are shattering this myth of 'AI for the rich and mighty' by deploying AI to serve the most underserved communities and helping overcome access barriers. This becomes even more important when such person-centred AI tools come from Global South innovators like DeepTek.

SHE & Rights | International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)

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SHE & Rights session on 6th February 2026 would mark the observance of International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting (FGM/C). SHE & Rights session will also focus on Indian Supreme Court's ruling reinforcing menstrual hygiene as a fundamental right.

Stop the gag and deliver on gender equality and right to health within next 59 months

[Watch SHE & Rights] Even before 2026 began, we were never on track to deliver on gender equality and human right to health and broader development justice. For example, there has been hardly any decline in gender-based violence perpetrated by intimate partners and others since 2000. Despite promises to end female genital mutilation/ cutting by 2030, rates have instead increased by 15% over the last 8 years.

APCAT Summit unites local governments to save lives from tobacco, TB, AMR and NCDs

Summit of sub-national government leaders from over 121 cities of 12 countries in Asia and the Pacific region unitedly passed an important declaration in Jakarta, Indonesia to save lives from preventable causes of diseases and untimely deaths, like tobacco use, TB, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

[video] Myanmar's leadership on implementing standardised plain packaging of tobacco products

[video] Make #HealthForAll a reality for everyone, says Indonesia's Deputy Home Minister Bima Arya Sugiarto

[video] Developing health technologies designed to serve the underserved: CNS Inspire features Sriram Natarajan

[video] 2026 begins with growing anti-rights pushback against gender equality: It is time for accountability

[SHE & Rights] 2026 begins with growing anti-rights pushback against gender equality: It is time for accountability

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SHE & Rights' first session of the year 2026 would focus on the theme: "2026 begins with more anti-rights pushback against gender equality: It is time for accountability."

Five years left to #endAIDS by ensuring zero new infections and all people with HIV live healthy

The year 2026 marks an important milestone with only 5 years left for world leaders to deliver on the promise of ending AIDS by 2030 (Sustainable Development Goal 3). With zero new HIV infections and ensuring all people living with HIV are healthy (virally suppressed) and supported we can end AIDS now!