Dear WAS Members and Friends,
The countdown is on: World Sexual Health Day is just one week away - and now is the time to add your voice to the global movement.
In this issue:
- Replay: WAS 2025–2029 – New Horizons; Global Reach
- Register for our star-packed World Sexual Health Day webinar: Sexual Justice: Why Now?
- Resources & Toolkit: How to Get Involved
- WAS Up: Preparing for the World Sexual Health Assembly
Let's begin.
| | Webinar Replay:
WAS 2025–2029 | | | On 21 August, the new WAS Officers came together to share their vision for the next four years.
If you missed it, you can now watch the replay of this important conversation - covering themes from global solidarity and evidence-driven science, to this year's World Sexual Health Day.
Featured speakers
Faysal El Kak (Lebanon) - President of WAS | Associate Professor of OBGYN Sexual Health and Director, Women Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) Program, American University of Beirut
Topic: WAS: The Power of Global Solidarity
Erick Janssen (Belgium) – Secretary-General / Treasurer | Professor in Sexology and Director, Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies, University of Leuven
Topic: From Evidence to Impact: Advancing Global Sexual Health and Rights Through Science
Esther Corona Vargas (Mexico) – Vice-President of WAS | Founder of the Mexican Association for Sexuality Education
Topic: Lessons for the future. WAS through five decades
Elna Rudolph (South Africa) – Immediate Past President of WAS | Medical Doctor, Sexologist, and Clinical Head of My Sexual Health
Topic: WAS Up?: World Sexual Health Day and The Inaugural meeting of the World Sexual Health Assembly
| | | Register for the Official WSHD Webinar: September 4 | | |
Register for the official WSHD Webinar: "Sexual Justice: Why Now?"
Join a distinguished panel of global leaders as we unpack what sexual justice means for policy, practice, and lived experience - and what action is urgently needed now.
The session opens with remarks from René de Klerk (WAS Executive Director), Faysal El Kak (WAS President), and Lynn Barclay (Chair of the WSHD Committee). The webinar will then be led by Alain Giami (France), Co-Chair of the Sexual Justice Initiative.
Featured Speakers & Topics
Alain Giami (France): Developing Sexual Justice
Angelica Espinosa Miranda (Brazil): Inequalities in Sexual & Reproductive Health in Brazil
Denise Medico (Switzerland/Canada): A Sexual Justice Perspective in Psychosexual Therapy
Esther Corona Vargas (Mexico): Can Education Address Youth's Sexual Injustices?
Md. Sharful Islam Khan (Bangladesh): Narratives of HIV Programs in South Asia in an Anti-Diversity Era
This session is free and open to all. Don't miss this opportunity to add your voice to the global conversation.
| | | Celebrating WSHD in Porto: September 4 | | | WSHD 2025 will also be marked in Porto, Portugal with a special in-person program on 4 September 2025.
Public Session at the University of Porto:
Hosted by the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, this session will spotlight the theme Sexual Justice: What Can We Do? and bring the conversation directly to the public.
Read more about the public session
Register to attend in person
Register to join via livestream
WAS Sexual Justice Session
Chaired by Eszter Kismödi (Member of EC / Chair of the Sexual Rights Committee), this 45-minute panel will feature Esther Corona, Julia Ehrt, Bouchra Assarag, and Elna Rudolph. Together, they will explore concrete pathways to advance sexual justice worldwide.
World Observatory on Sexual Health
The University of Porto and WAS will also sign a Declaration of Collaboration establishing the World Observatory for Sexual Health, which will be based at the University of Porto.
Read more about the World Observatory on Sexual Health
Stay tuned to our channels on September 4 for highlights direct from Porto.
| | | Help WAS to spread the word on September 4, and beyond! | | |
✔️ Use the official WSHD toolkit - posters, slides, conversation cards & more
✔️ Visit the WSHD website to learn more about this year's theme
✔️ Spread the word on social media with #WSHD2025 and #SexualJustice
✔️ Submit your event on our official form so we can amplify it
Together, let's make WSHD a global celebration of health, rights, justice, and pleasure.
| |
September will also mark a historic milestone: the launch of the World Sexual Health Assembly (WSHA) on 5 September in Porto, Portugal.
The WSHA is a bold new global leadership platform created by WAS to advance sexual health, rights, and justice in the face of escalating threats. The Assembly brings together leaders from across regions, organizations, and disciplines to:
- Influence policy at the highest levels
- Safeguard progress on sexual health, rights and justice
- Coordinate action across movements for greater impact
WAS has assembled a group of leading Sexual Health and Rights organizations globally as inaugural members (including UN Agencies, International and Regional and Civil Society and Professional Organizations, Academic/Research Institutes, and international sexual health publications).
With inaugural members spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and beyond, the WSHA represents a united response to global challenges and a commitment to building the future we need - together.
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At the Opening Ceremony of the 27th WAS Congress in Brisbane (June 2025), Elna Rudolph announced the pre-launch of the WSHA.
This historic moment paved the way for the inaugural Assembly in Porto on 5 September 2025 - showing how WSHD's call for Sexual Justice: What Can We Do? is already being translated into concrete action.
A Unique Opportunity: Become a Founding Donor of the WSHA
This is your chance to have your name listed as a Founding Donor of the World Sexual Health Assembly (WSHA) - a historic milestone in the global movement for sexual health, rights, and justice.
WAS urgently needs funding to cover the expenses of this inaugural meeting. Your support as a Founding Donor will play a vital role in enabling WAS to mobilize a united global movement, sustain and grow our mission, and help shape a better sexual health future for all.
We invite you to use this unique opportunity to add your name to the list of Founding Donors of the WSHA - visionary leaders who believe in the power of partnership and the urgency to unite for sexual health, rights, and justice.
At this point, all we need is a pledge, starting from as little as $100, payable by the end of 2025. But we need your commitments now to ensure this Assembly launches strong.
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As we step into September, let's make World Sexual Health Day and the launch of the WSHA a turning point for advancing sexual health, rights, justice, and pleasure worldwide.
The World Association for Sexual Health
| | Support the Mission of WAS We invite you to support the ongoing work of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS).
Your contributions help us continue our mission of promoting Sexual Health, Rights, and Justice globally. Consider becoming a supporting member or making a financial contribution today.
Donations are tax-deductible in the USA. | | | |  | |
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