International Women's Day

Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia

Across the WHO South-East Asia Region, progress on women's health and wellbeing is slow. Adolescent birth rates remain high, and the use of modern contraceptive methods has stalled in several countries. Southern Asia accounted for about 13% of global maternal deaths in 2023. Recent estimates show that South-East Asia has the highest prevalence of intimate partner violence among all WHO regions, at 20.5% in the past 12 months. Mental, neurological, substance abuse and self-harm conditions also disproportionately affect women across the life course.

International Women's Day 2026, under the theme "Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls," reaffirms that all women and girls have the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health and wellbeing, and that it is incumbent upon all to translate this right to reality.

Health is not gender-neutral, as policies that ignore gender differences deepen inequality. Universal health coverage cannot be achieved if women and girls are left behind. Emergency preparedness plans are incomplete if they do not account for the specific risks women and girls face during crises.

WHO is committed to advancing gender equality in, and through, health and wellbeing. WHO's 14th General Programme of Work has introduced a dedicated outcome indicator-improving "health service coverage and financial protection to address inequity and gender inequalities". As one of the six strategic objectives for 2025-2028, it places gender at the core of WHO's strategy and ensures accountability for results.

Globally and regionally, WHO is advancing the UN Secretary-General's Gender Equality Acceleration Plan (GEAP), applying gender integration principles in operational plans and budgets for major offices and budget centres, and using the Gender Equality Marker to track financial allocations and expenditures according to their contribution to gender equality and/or women's rights.

At a national level, WHO is monitoring national health laws, policies and strategies to ensure they reflect gender equality, human rights and equity considerations, aligned with WHO guidance and tools. The integration of gender across the planning cycle is being strengthened, and WHO Country Offices are improving their capacity to apply gender markers to programme design, budgeting and monitoring.

In 2025, the #BecozSheMatters campaign in the Delhi Metro System, implemented with India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the WHO India Country Office, brought women's health and wellbeing messages to nearly 200,000 people each day during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

Health and wellbeing are both an entry point and an accelerator for gender equality. Our leadership, our voice, and our daily actions can help drive the transformation. On International Women's Day, we call for the right to health and wellbeing for women and girls to be protected in law, policy and practice.

Through rights, justice and action, we can advance health and wellbeing for all women and girls across South-East Asia.