NHRIs call for leadership in addressing women’s and girls’ rights globally
National human rights institutions (NHRIs) from across the globe committed to intensify their work on promoting gender equality and protecting the rights of women and girls during the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), held in Geneva from 10-12 March.
The Annual Meeting, hosted by GANHRI in cooperation with the UN Human Rights Office and co-funded by the European Commission through the NHRI.EU project, featured the Annual Conference on “The Human Rights of Women and Girls: Promoting Gender Equality.”
Opening the Annual Conference, GANHRI Chairperson Maryam Al Attiyah emphasized: “Gender equality is not only a fundamental right but a prerequisite for sustainable and just societies. The time for action is now.”
Ahead of the conference, a GANHRI survey gathered insights from NHRIs worldwide on their efforts to address gender equality and protect women’s and girls’ rights, providing valuable data and case studies that informed discussions.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, in his opening remarks highlighted the critical role of NHRIs: “You are uniquely placed as advocates of international law and experts on the national context. Human rights are about facts.” The high-level session was also attended by Jürg Lauber, President of the Human Rights Council, and Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, both of whom addressed the high-level opening with powerful statements outlining the unique role of NHRIs in promoting gender equality.
The Annual Conference featured interventions from NHRIs across all regions, as well as contributions from UN Women, CEDAW, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, civil society, and OHCHR. Speakers shared initiatives addressing gender-based violence, legal and policy reforms, education programs to combat stereotypes, and strategies for ensuring gender inclusion within their own institutions.
Participants adopted an Outcome Statement (EN｜FR ｜ES ｜AR) marking a pivotal commitment to advancing gender equality and the human rights of women, girls, and gender-diverse people amid rising global challenges.
It reaffirms the urgency of countering pushbacks on gender rights, strengthening accountability through NHRIs, and upholding international human rights commitments. Key priorities include promoting gender-responsive climate action, ensuring equal participation in decision-making at all levels, and strengthening NHRIs’ institutional frameworks to advance gender equality.
Building on the commitments from the Amman Declaration, the Outcome Statement called on all states to fully implement their commitments and legal obligations related to gender equality.
During the Annual Meeting, GANHRI members elected Amina Bouayach of Morocco as the new GANHRI Chairperson and Alyson Kilpatrick of Northern Ireland as the new GANHRI Secretary, for a three-year term. GANHRI members expressed their deep appreciation to outgoing Chairperson Maryam Al Attiyah for her dedicated leadership during her tenure.
“I am committed to further enhancing our collective capacity to ensure NHRIs remain powerful advocates for human dignity, justice, and equality in every corner of the world,” said incoming Chairperson Bouayach.
The Annual Meeting also included the Bureau Meeting, General Assembly, regional networks meetings, and Knowledge Exchange sessions on disability rights and NHRI accreditation, in follow up to Human Rights Council Resolution 57/23.
Participants observed a moment of silence to commemorate two exceptional human rights defenders and members of the GANHRI family, who passed away earlier this year: Roseline Odede, late Chairperson of Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, following a short illness, and Raafat Salha, Director of the Gaza Office at the Independent Commission for Human Rights of Palestine, following an Israeli airstrike on Gaza.
The broadcast of the Annual Conference is available on UN Web TV (part 1 and part 2).