As the world marks International Women’s Day, we are reminded that the reality for many women, girls and gender-diverse persons in Asia and the Pacific remains far from the equality and justice we have been fighting for.
In 2026, the maps of our region continue to be rewritten, not by progress but by climate shocks, conflicts, displacement, economic instability, and inequalities. In Pacific Island Countries, persistent tropical cyclones and flooding are reshaping communities.
We see our communities on the move—migrants, refugees, and displaced persons—navigating a world that treats their bodies as security threats. For a woman on the move, a border is not just a line on a map; it is a site of potential violence.
Our reality is one of polycrises—coastlines are shifting, communities are being uprooted, borders are hardening, and in the middle of these converging crises are women and girls whose lives are shaped by forces far beyond their control.
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Our reality is one of polycrises—coastlines are shifting, communities are being uprooted, borders are hardening, and in the middle of these converging crises are women and girls whose lives are shaped by forces far beyond their control.
This International Women’s Day, we must be honest with ourselves. Progress is not inevitable. The hard-won rights that the generations before us fought for can disappear in a matter of months. Across our region, we are seeing coordinated pushback against sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender equality, shrinking civic space, and increasing measures to control the bodies and choices of women and girls.
In the face of this, we do not just provide services; we provide defiance.
From community-based clinics to advocacy spaces, we stand alongside those who refuse to accept a world where rights are conditional. In Indonesia, for example, our partners have worked closely with trans communities to expand access to safe, respectful sexual and reproductive health care—demonstrating that even in challenging political environments, solidarity and community leadership can push back against exclusion.
Gender justice cannot exist without reproductive justice.
Reproductive justice is a fundamental right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, to have children, to not have children, and to parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities (Source: SisterSong).
For the economic migrant in a foreign land, for the adolescent girl in a climate-displaced camp, and for those trapped in the crossfire of conflict: Your body is your own. Your right to contraception, safe abortion, and maternal care is not a luxury to be negotiated during ‘stable times’. It is a non-negotiable human right that must be upheld precisely when the world is at its most disordered.
For the economic migrant in a foreign land, for the adolescent girl in a climate-displaced camp, and for those trapped in the crossfire of conflict: Your body is your own. Your right to contraception, safe abortion, and maternal care is not a luxury to be negotiated during ‘stable times’. It is a non-negotiable human right that must be upheld precisely when the world is at its most disordered.
Across Asia and the Pacific, we see courage everywhere.
In Kiribati, young people are taking the lead. Through the Humanitarian Youth Club initiative supported by our local partner, youth leaders are learning to respond to climate-related crises while raising awareness about SRH in emergencies. They track tidal patterns, help communities prepare for king tides, and work together to plan safe evacuations. Their leadership is a reminder that even in the face of disaster and uncertainty, young people are shaping safer, stronger communities.
The challenges before us are real, but they do not determine our future. Our choices do.
The challenges before us are real, but they do not determine our future. Our choices do.
On this International Women’s Day, the message is clear: if we are to gain equality, governments and institutions must give more than words.
- They must protect women and girls in conflict.
- They must ensure rights and services to migrants and displaced communities.
- They must give resources to climate-vulnerable communities.
- And they must encourage space for women’s leadership in shaping peace, justice, and sustainable futures.
This International Women’s Day, let us choose to lead with love and care with courage.
In solidarity and with fierce hope,
Tomoko Fukuda,
Regional Director, IPPF ESEAOR and (interim) SAR
