With only 64 months left to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline, civil society organizations and institutional actors are urging governments to move from commitments to concrete action. At the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), SDG 3 (health and well-being) and SDG 5 (gender equality) are emerging as essential levers to realize the 2030 Agenda.
A 64-month countdown highlights the urgency of the challenges; a constant reminder that the time for speeches is over—the time for action is now.
“We are not asking for charity, but for justice,” insists Benedicta Oyewole. By 2030, the goal is clear: to guarantee every woman, every girl, and every person access to health, equality, and dignity.
As world leaders prepare to gather in New York for UNGA 2025, attention is turning to the evaluation of commitments made in 2015 on health, gender equality, and human rights. “Anti-rights and anti-gender movements threaten the few gains achieved,” warns Shobha Shukla, founding executive director of CNS and coordinator of the SHE & Rights network.
Despite anti-rights pressure and political setbacks, signals of hope are emerging. Thailand has taken a historic step by becoming the first Southeast Asian country to legalize marriage for all. For Thai activist Matcha Phorn-In, this legislative victory is a major milestone for LGBTQIA+ rights, even though “criminalization persists in many neighboring countries.”
Other local initiatives show that change is possible. In India, Humana People to People’s SWEET project supports homeless women affected by tuberculosis and HIV, turning them into agents of change within their communities.
In several African countries, restrictive laws and regressive legislative proposals are slowing progress. “Some punitive laws, such as those criminalizing homosexuality in Uganda and similar bills introduced in Ghana and Kenya, seriously hinder the achievement of SDGs 3 and 5,” explains Kavutha Mutua, lawyer at the High Court of Kenya.
In Kenya, the withdrawal of the commitment on comprehensive sexuality education and contradictions regarding the Maputo Protocol are, according to her, examples of policies that jeopardize sexual and reproductive health and rights, particularly for young women and girls.
By contrast, Nepal is cited as an inspiring model of resilience and leadership. “Our country has moved from fragility to leadership in public health, despite limited resources and multiple crises,” emphasizes Dr. Bikash Devkota, Secretary at the Ministry of Health. The country has recorded a more than 70% reduction in maternal mortality over three decades and was officially declared rubella-free by the WHO in August 2025.
In Asia-Pacific, Anjali Shenoi (ARROW) stresses the need for universal access to sexual and reproductive health services and the fight against child marriage and unsafe abortion, which are still responsible for far too many maternal deaths.
Ultimately, calls to action are growing both in Africa and in Asia-Pacific. “Without SDG 3 and SDG 5, there will be no human development, no lasting peace, and no economic transformation,” warns Benedicta Oyedayo Oywole (IPPF Africa), who confirms that the priorities are clear: investing in primary health care, ending gender-based violence, and funding local human rights organizations.
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