The Pushback on Women’s Rights Must Be Stopped

Launch Event for the initiative “Stop the Pushback on Women’s Rights”
30 January 2025, 10:00 – 12:00 hrs CET
Hybrid: Geneva, Graduate Institute (Auditorium A1B, Petal 2) and online

The alarming attacks on women’s rights in multilateral spaces, including at the World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN institutions, signal a disturbing escalation in the global attempt to undermine women’s role in societies. From the denial of sexual and reproductive rights to the weaponisation of women’s bodies in conflict zones, from the widespread violence against women to the brutal scenario of gender apartheid, patriarchal forces are relentlessly targeting the agency and freedom of women and girls worldwide. We are talking about a full-scale assault.

At this critical conjuncture, join us to challenge this mounting wave of regression. We need you to be part of a conversation that aims to transcend borders and bring everyone together to stop the pushback on all women’s rights.

Speakers:

Opening Remarks: Claire Somerville, Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies

Introduction and Moderation: Nicoletta Dentico, Director Global Health Justice Program, Society for International Development, Co-President of G2H2

• Sara Ibrahim Abdelgalil, Doctor and Democracy Advocate on the Sudanese Diaspora
• Bettina Borisch, Director, The World Federation of Public Health Associations
• Ruben Brouwer, Human Rights Officer, ​Women’s Human Rights and Gender Section, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• Rafael Carrano Lelis, PhD Student, Gender Centre, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
• Ashka Naik, Chief Research and Policy Officer, Corporate Accountability
• Parisa Nazari, Activist in the Iranian Feminist Diaspora in Europe
• Ruchi Shroff, Director, Navdanya International

▶️ Read the speakers bio here.

Organized by:

The Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2), the Gender Centre, the Global Health Centre‘s International Geneva Global Health Platform and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation – Geneva Office.

The Alliance brings together organizations, movements, and institutions across sectors to counter the global backlash against women’s and LGBTQI+ rights in multilateral arenas.

Navdanya International is a member of the Alliance’s steering group and contributes a unique articulation, as part of our ongoing work to advance ecofeminism and extend the principles of our manifesto Making Peace with the Earth into global policy spaces, drawing vital links between gender justice, biodiversity, care economies, and ecological regeneration. At the Geneva event, our intervention emphasized that the defense of women’s rights cannot be separated from the defense of life itself: the health of our communities, ecosystems, and democracies depends on recognizing women—particularly Indigenous, peasant, and grassroots women—as central actors in ecological transition.

By bringing these interconnected struggles into the multilateral space, this work strengthens Navdanya’s long-term commitment to building a planetary movement rooted in justice, care, and the protection of the Earth.

Reference / source: https://g2h2.org/posts/stop-the-pushback-on-womens-rights/