Message from Rajat Khosla, PMNCH Executive Director - March 2026

Dear partners and colleagues, 

March has been a month of reflection, engagement and renewed urgency for our partnership.  

We began by marking International Women's Day, a moment to celebrate progress for women and girls, but also to confront the reality that many continue to face deep and persistent challenges, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected settings. From insecurity and violence to shrinking civic space and inequitable access to services, the context in which women, children and adolescents live is becoming increasingly complex, reinforcing the need for sustained collective action. The debates at the Commission on the Status of Women further highlighted both the importance of maintaining political momentum and the need to more consistently prioritize support for gender equality frameworks. The fifth GLN DRM webinar further reinforced that integrating sexual and reproductive health into universal health coverage requires strong government leadership, sustained financing, and political will, with survey findings highlighting these as the most critical enablers for progress.

A key highlight of the month was our convening in Kenya, where Collaborative Advocacy Action Plan and Global Leaders Network partners came together for the first time. This milestone gathering reinforced the power of collaboration between governments and civil society to elevate community-driven priorities alongside high-level political advocacy, and to strengthen alignment across national, regional and global efforts.

We concluded the month at the International Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Conference, where new data and evidence served as a sobering reminder that progress is stalling in too many places. Across sessions, a consistent message emerged: without accelerated action, stronger accountability and increased investment, we risk falling short of our shared goals for women, children and adolescents.

As we look ahead to April, one message has come through clearly across all engagements: financing is fundamental. With key global moments on the horizon, including the World Bank Spring Meetings, the Commission on Population and Development, and the World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Africa, we must focus on translating commitments into tangible results.