In a new report, entitled Women out loud, UNAIDS explores the impact of HIV on women and the instrumental role women living with the virus are playing to end AIDS. It includes the latest data and commentary from some of the leading advocates on women and HIV.

The report includes the voices of some 30 women living with HIV who have given their personal insights into how the epidemic is affecting women and on how women are actively working to reduce the spread and impact of AIDS.

HIV is continuing to have a disproportionate effect on the lives of women. It is still the leading cause of death for women of reproductive age, and gender inequalities and women’s rights violations are persistent in rendering women and girls more vulnerable to HIV and preventing them from accessing essential HIV services.

“Achieving zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero-AIDS related deaths will require accelerated action for women and girls,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Women must have access to education and knowledge as well as being empowered to protect themselves from HIV. We must listen to their needs, their voices and transform their words into action.”

Every minute, one young woman is infected by HIV

The infection rates among young women aged 15-24 are twice as high as in young men, highlighting the impact HIV is having on young women’s lives. The disparity is most pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa, where 3% of young women are living with HIV.

Comprehensive sexuality education is critical for all young people to ensure that they can protect themselves from HIV, especially young women. However the percentage of young women who can correctly identify ways of preventing HIV is still very low in many countries with high HIV prevalence.

“Today around 60% of adults living with HIV in the most affected regions are women––we need to take urgent action,” said the Executive Director UN Women Michelle Bachelet. “To make our response more effective, we need more women in decision-making, more access to information and services for sexual and reproductive health, and more focus on promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls.”

Gender inequalities critically influence the risk of HIV infection

Much progress is needed is in ensuring gender equality and respect for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, especially those of women living with HIV. Harmful gender norms and a lack of economic empowerment are rendering women more vulnerable to acquiring HIV through sexual transmission.

“Improving women’s social and economic status and enhancing their decision making power reduces the risk of HIV infection,” said Jennifer Gatsi, Executive Director of the Namibian Women’s Health Network.

Marginalised women remain the most impacted by HIV

Sex workers and people who use drugs are particularly vulnerable to HIV. When sex is exchanged for money or drugs, women often exert little influence over a partner’s condom use. Female sex workers are 13.5 times more likely to be living with HIV than other women. Some countries reported an HIV prevalence rate of more than 20% among female sex workers in capital cities. Studies conducted in nine European Union countries have indicated on average a 50% higher prevalence of HIV among women who inject drugs than in men who inject drugs.

End new infections among children and keep their mothers alive

Since UNAIDS launched the Global Plan to stop new HIV infections in children and keep their mothers alive, new infections in children in sub-Saharan Africa have fallen by nearly 25% (2009 to 2011). This represents a huge step towards achieving zero new HIV infections in children by 2015.

However, stigma and discrimination or the threat of stigma and discrimination are still preventing many women from accessing prenatal care services. Almost two of every three pregnant women in low- and middle- income countries do not know their HIV status.

It is critical to protect the sexual and reproductive health and rights of all women living with HIV. This includes their right to access voluntary and confidential HIV testing and counselling, accurate and non-judgemental information, quality treatment and services, and to bear children in a safe environment, free of stigma, discrimination and violence.

Laws and policies to protect the rights of women living with HIV

Laws and policies should protect women and girls, however there are many that exist that actually punish, stigmatize and discriminate against women living with HIV, creating a significant barrier to women accessing both harm-reduction and HIV-related services. The report highlights the need for changes in laws, policies, programmes and practices, and calls for women to be an integral part of policy-making and programming.

Women out loud provides an in depth insight into the many challenges faced by women and particularly women living with HIV. It also offers a snapshot of how women are shaping the response to HIV and the importance of their active involvement in decision making and programming.

The foreword of Women out loud is signed by Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women and Jennifer Gatsi, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Namibian Women’s Health Network. The report was formally launched at the Polish mission in Geneva on Tuesday 11 December 2012 by the Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Health of Poland and Chair of the 31st PCB, Igor Radziewicz-Winnicki and His Excellency Remigiusz A. Henczel, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.

In her speech, Her Excellency Genoveva da Conceição Lino, Angolan Minister of Family and Promotion of Women, emphasized the role of women in families and communities and the importance of strengthening their position in society.

High-level women decision makers recently came together in the National Assembly of Angola to endorse the “Harare Call to Action” and discuss how the country will address HIV and gender-based violence. They engaged on issues related to domestic and sexual violence and the inclusion of women in decisions concerning their families, economic development, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Adopted in Zimbabwe in May 2012, the “Harare Call to Action,” is a unified action plan for women’s health in Africa and has a specific focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the context of HIV. It acknowledges that Africa’s development continues to be impaired by challenges in access to sexual and reproductive health as well as HIV services, and recognizes that gender inequality makes women and girls particularly vulnerable.

African women and girls bear a large portion of the burden of the epidemic. More than 60% of adults living with HIV across Africa are women, and 76% of women living with HIV worldwide are in Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, young women aged 15–24 years are as much as eight times more likely than men to be living with HIV.

Biological factors that render women and girls more vulnerable to HIV infection are aggravated by gender-based violence, harmful socio-cultural and legal practices, sex with multiple partners, age-disparate relationships, economic disparity, inadequate education and lack of access to quality sexual and reproductive health services.

The Angolan Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women organized the national consultation in Angola with the support of UNAIDS. The meeting brought together women government ministers, vice ministers, governors, vice governors, and 56 parliamentarians from both the ruling and opposition parties, as well as members of the national Network of Women Living with HIV (known locally as Rede Mwenho) and more than 100 other participants from the public and private sectors.

In her speech, the Minister of Family and Promotion of Women, Genoveva da Conceição Lino, emphasized the role of women in families and communities and the importance of strengthening their position in society. She called on everyone present at the meeting to take the commitment as seriously as possible to ensure positive results.

“Gender equality and the empowerment of women are fundamental elements in the reduction of vulnerability of women and girls in issues relating to reproductive and sexual health, including HIV/AIDS,” said Ms da Conceição Lino.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator for Angola, Maria do Valle Ribeiro, highlighted the importance of gender equality in reducing maternal mortality, eliminating new HIV infections in children, and reducing sexual transmission of HIV.

“The road to the complete emancipation of women is long and UNAIDS will continue to work with African countries to eliminate gender inequalities and all forms of social and economic injustices confronting African women and girls. I am inviting all of us to join forces to resolve all the issues that contribute to the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV infection,” said Dr Ribeiro.

At the end of the consultation, participants endorsed the Harare Call to Action and committed to implementing its recommendations. They pledged to work together to ensure that all women, and specifically women living with HIV, enjoy a dignified life with their families, in the workplace, and at all levels of society.

Newest UN organization joins UNAIDS’ efforts to ensure greater access to HIV services for women and girls

GENEVA, 5 June 2012—The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) is the eleventh United Nations body to join the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) as a cosponsoring partner.

The official joining of UN Women as a UNAIDS Cosponsor, which was approved at UNAIDS’ board meeting today, will further strengthen the UNAIDS family’s work on gender equality and HIV and enhance collaboration with governments, international partners, women’s organizations and the women’s rights movement.

“UN Women is proud to join UNAIDS. We believe that the single most important strategy in dealing with HIV is empowering women and guaranteeing their rights—so that they can protect themselves from infection, overcome stigma, and gain greater access to treatment and care,” said Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women. “We look forward to expanding our efforts in partnership with the UNAIDS family to address this epidemic.”

Gender equality and respect for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, especially for women living with HIV, are essential for an effective response to HIV. Persistent gender inequalities and women’s rights violations are continuing to render women and girls more vulnerable to HIV and prevent them from accessing HIV services. In 2010 there were around 17 million women living with HIV and HIV continues to be the leading cause of death in women of reproductive age.

“I believe we need to and can do much better for women and girls. There are still too few sustainable solutions available for women to protect themselves from HIV, violence and poverty,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Partnering with UN Women will strengthen our efforts to promote gender equality and bolster women’s empowerment globally through the HIV response.”

UNAIDS will collaborate closely with UN Women in a number of areas including: addressing the intersections between HIV and violence against women; integrating gender equality into national HIV planning; and using strategies that promote the leadership and participation of women living with HIV, and women affected by HIV, in decision-making. UNAIDS and UN Women will also work on strengthening national institutions to enable them to deliver on commitments made on gender equality and women’s rights in the context of HIV.

“As a young woman living with HIV, I am heartened to see that UNAIDS and UN Women are joining forces against AIDS. I have experienced first-hand how enabling environments and rights-based services can empower women living with HIV to take control over our bodies and our lives,” said Helena Nangombe Kandali from Namibia. “UN Women becoming a cosponsor of UNAIDS is a positive step forward in supporting women the world over, particularly women living with HIV.”

UN Women, established by the UN General Assembly in 2010 brings together four distinct parts of the UN system which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment, namely: the Division for the Advancement of Women; the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women; the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women; and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

Women returning from a farm with vegetables to be sold in a market on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia.
Credit: VII Photo/Marcus Bleasdale

Cynthia Quaqua is a mother, wife, the president of the Liberian Women’s Empowerment Network (LIWEN), and, perhaps most importantly, a survivor. Raped by soldiers during the Liberian civil war, she became pregnant as a young woman. Years later she fell ill and was diagnosed with HIV. Suddenly, she found herself abandoned by her relatives even began discussing where to bury her.

Fortunately, a Lutheran pastor gave her a place to live and directed her to a clinic where she could receive HIV treatment. She then found social support through a women’s group, where members had, like her, experienced sexual violence. Today, Cynthia is a picture of health and a powerful presence, taking her anti-retroviral medications twice daily. “The support from other women showed me that I was not alone and has allowed me to come this far,” she said.

Although Liberia is on the recovery from conflict, sexual violence remains prevalent. Research shows that 29% of ever married women experienced physical or sexual violence from a male intimate partner in the last 12 months.

Violence is both cause and consequence of women’s vulnerability to HIV. In Liberia, women account for 58% of all adults living with HIV. Young women and girls are particularly affected with an HIV prevalence more than double that of their male peers. The stigma associated with HIV and gender based violence is a major barrier to women accessing and adhering to HIV treatment and prevention services.

The President of Liberia and first ever female elected head of government in African, H.E. Ellen Sirleaf Johnson,  has put gender equality and the empowerment of women at the centre of Liberia’s post-conflict and development agenda. Liberia was the first country to put into practice the UNAIDS Agenda for Women and Girls, setting strategic priorities for supporting women and girls’ rights, and gender equality through HIV responses.

Equally, the national response to HIV is prioritising gender equality as a smart investment for more effective programmes, under the leadership of the Minister of Gender and Development Julia Duncan Cassell. “We are fully cognizant that if the issues of HIV are to be fully addressed in Liberia, Africa and the rest of the world, we need to empower women living with HIV and get them involved at all levels,” said Mrs Cassell.

Cynthia Quaqua is a mother, wife, the president of the Liberian Women’s Empowerment Network, and, perhaps most importantly, a survivor.
Credit: UNAIDS

A mid-term review of the implementation of the national operational plan took place in Monrovia the first week of April involving partners from government, civil society, faith-based organisations, networks of women living with HIV and the UN system.

The review found that significant progress had been made in generating and maintaining political commitment to address HIV and sexual violence in Liberia. Data collection on sexual and gender based violence has increased and reporting structures have been harmonized, allowing for the routine collection of strategic information to inform national programmes.

Since the launch of the operational plan, government Ministries have put in place HIV and Gender co-ordination offices with domestic resources to champion HIV and gender programming, and HIV, gender and sexual and reproductive health services has been integrated into national polices. A coalition of actors has been established to address gender based violence and HIV, as well as contributing to addressing gender based violence broadly. The coalition meets monthly to monitor progress of activities.

Other positive developments include the active engagement of associations and networks of women living with HIV in addressing sexual and gender based violence and increasing access to integrated HIV and health services for women.

But challenges remain, including the need to increase access to sufficient domestic financial resources and more effective coordination of different actors to maximise collective impact.

“UNAIDS and its co-sponsors recommit to intensify efforts against HIV and sexual violence by focusing on developing mutual accountability for results, partnerships for country ownership and generating program efficiencies through innovation and integration,” said David Chipanta, UNAIDS Country Co-ordinator for Liberia.   

Men gather to discuss cultural and social issues related to gender justice and equality.

Sitting on a traditional stool at a Dare—a special meeting platform, Chief Chiveso of Mashonaland Central Province in Zimbabwe speaks to men about the possibility of having babies born HIV free and keeping their mothers alive. For that to happen, stresses the Chief, there is a need to challenge harmful cultural and religious practices that can affect community responses to HIV.  "As a Chief, I am going to continue supporting and leading health issues in my village so that families can live better.”

Chief Chiveso has the support of Padare/Men’s Forum on Gender—a Zimbabwean organisation that works with traditional leaders in Mashonaland to influence public opinion on various community issues. These include the promotion of HIV services and mobilising men to actively participate in preventing new HIV infections among children.

Men play a significant role in defining community practices. Traditionally, Zimbabwean men would gather around a fire or under a tree to discuss community issues and make decisions about the community while excluding women and children. This practice fuelled gender inequalities since most decisions did not take into account women’s views.

Padare’s goal is to subvert this exclusive male practice and bring together traditional and local leaders, pastors, grandfathers, fathers, uncles and brothers to discuss cultural and social issues related to gender justice and equality, including the support for programmes to stop new HIV infections among children.

"In these communities men have positions, power and privileges that come from patriarchal values. We are harnessing their power so that they can be agents of social change in their communities," said Kevin Hazangwi, Director of Padare.

Zimbabwe’s National AIDS Strategic Plan aims to reduce transmission of HIV from mothers to children from 14% in 2010 to 7% in 2013 and to less than 5% by 2015. Currently, Government figures indicate 70% coverage of prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services in the country.

Rising community voices in HIV action

Through the Padare initiative, Chief Chiveso engages men in open dialogues where community members are encouraged to challenge low health seeking behaviours in the village and to understand HIV prevention, treatment and care services. These interactive dialogues—known as Community Conversations—enable community decision-making and actions concerning the elimination of HIV.

“This programme gave me a lot of knowledge about existing antiretroviral drugs and HIV prevention services,” said Tatenda, a proud father living with HIV. “I was supporting my wife when she was in labour. I now have twins who were born HIV negative.”

Padare also conducts consultative meetings that tap into the local rich traditions. These meetings enable communities to identify gaps in knowledge and attitudes, behaviours and cultural practices that are harmful to the AIDS response. In these open discussions, community members are able to raise key issues and provide solutions without personalising the issues. Spousal inheritance and girl pledging for spirit appeasement—offering of a young girl to remedy criminal offences or to appease the spirit of a murdered person—are among the negative cultural practices that are discussed.

A higher-level platform known as Indaba is also used by Padare to engage the Chiefs themselves to advocate for greater action in their respective communities. Such dialogue enables the Chiefs to agree on sound HIV policies ensuring the involvement of men in preventing new HIV infections at community and national level.

“As Chiefs we should play a major role in sensitising our communities. Over and above the right of children to a dignified life, the babies we are losing are potential nurses, doctors and teachers for our society’s tomorrow,” added Chief Chiveso.

Traditional leaders as custodians of culture

Faith-based leaders in Mashonaland Central are also taking action to change negative religious and cultural practices and boost service uptake in their communities.

“Religion and the church have been accused for being the source of male chauvinism and patriarchy. We pledge to keep it as a fountain of hope, a source of information and health,” said Pastor Sifelani, of the Anglican Church in Bindura. “Gone are the days when we would encourage people to flush away antiretroviral drugs because they have been healed and we blamed witchcraft for sickness and death instead of HIV.”

Traditional leaders are considered the custodians of culture and are therefore critical to shift society’s attitudes. Bringing together communities to discuss issues in their own terms has a positive effect in increasing HIV service uptake. There is greater scope for replicating this programming model in sub-Saharan Africa where the idea of men’s forums is culturally appropriate and can be traced to past and current practices.

Prof. Shiela Tlou, UNAIDS Director, Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa speaks at the launch of the High-Level Taskforce on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Credit: UNAIDS/J.Ose

A new High-Level Taskforce on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV for Eastern and Southern Africa was launched at the 16^th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA). The Taskforce will engage in high-level political advocacy in support of accelerated country actions and monitoring the implementation of the draft Windhoek Declaration for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV.

The draft Windhoek Declaration (April 2011), recommends action in seven key thematic areas including sexual and reproductive health, adopting a multi-stakeholder approach to adders violence against women and HIV and the law, gender and HIV. 

Immediately after the launch of the Taskforce, its members participated in a special session titled Universal Access:  Are we failing to meet the needs of women and girls where they took stock of challenges faced by women and girls throughout Africa.

“We see women at the top of HIV infection numbers, but when it comes to leadership women are at the bottom,” said Dr Speciosa Wandira, former Vice President of Uganda. “The world is insecure because it is in the hands of only half of the gender. But the job of identifying what we need to do is in our hands.”

Young women are particularly vulnerable to HIV, accounting for 64% of infections among young people worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, young women make about 70% of young people living with HIV.

Dr Specioza was joined by Dr Fatma Mrisho, Chair of the Taskforce and Executive Chairperson of the Tanzanian AIDS Commission, Dr Elhadj As Sy, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Prof Shiela Tlou, UNAIDS Director, Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ms Louis Chingandu, Executive Director of SAfAIDS, Hon Naomi Shaban Minister of Gender of Kenya and Hon Thandi Shongwe Senator and Member of Parliament of Swaziland.

The Taskforce members outlined the directions the group will follow to empower women as well as to hold governments accountable to ensure positive policy development and implementation of legal environments to protect women and girls.

“Many countries have legal support systems in place. However, its implementation is difficult due to social pressure and archaic cultural laws,” said Senator Shongwe.

Participants outlined the need to engage political leadership to challenge harmful cultural norms and laws such as early marriage and wife inheritance. Equally important is the involvement of men and boys in the gender equality equation. “We know what we want,” said Minister Shaban. “But we have not educated men on what we want.”

Prof. Tlou added that, “We need to use good men as role models to show that it is masculine to love and care for women.”

The Taskforce was first conceived at the Technical Meeting on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV, which was jointly convened by the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and UNAIDS.

The meeting, held in Windhoek, Namibia in April 2011,  brought together government and civil society representatives from Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia and Regional Directors from UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women.

Credit: UNAIDS

UNAIDS brought together nearly 60 participants from 12 countries across Eastern and Southern Africa to a 3-day training workshop on expanding human rights, gender and HIV prevention programmes in national responses to HIV.  The workshop took place in Johannesburg from 20 – 23 September.

Participants analysed how to incorporate into their National Strategic Plans (NSP) programmes that can reduce stigma, address gender inequality and increase access to justice in the context of HIV. The programmes reviewed were the ones identified in the 2011 Political Declaration, adopted by Member States at the UN High Level Meeting on AIDS, as essential to addressing HIV-related stigma and discrimination in national HIV responses.

Governments committed to implement programmes that focus on sensitizing police and judges; training health care workers in non-discrimination, confidentiality and informed consent; supporting national human rights learning campaigns, legal literacy, and legal services, as well as monitoring the impact of the legal environment on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. They also committed to protect the rights of women and end gender-based violence in the context of HIV.

Participants agreed that HIV programmes based on human rights and gender equality are key means by which to make national AIDS responses more people-centered. “Unless the legal and social environments are protective of the people living with and vulnerable to HIV, people will not be willing, or able, to come forward for HIV prevention and treatment,” emphasized Sheila Tlou, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team East and Southern Africa.

During the workshop, each participating country team reviewed a human rights and gender analysis of their current National Strategic Plans produced ahead of the meeting by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and Heard. These analyses confirmed results of earlier studies pointing out that human rights and gender equality are often cited in the introduction of the NSPs as important principles, and some programmes to support them may be mentioned. However, these programmes are often not included at the costing and budgeting phase, and when implemented, are seldom evaluated or taken to scale.

“It is imperative that we promote the incorporation of human rights and gender equality principles in our NSP. We need to move from mere acknowledgement of these principles to putting them at the forefront of the response to the HIV epidemic,” acknowledged Sylvie Pool from the Department of Legal Affairs of the Seychelles in representation of the country team.

By the end of the workshop, each country team had developed national action plans with specific commitments to integrate human rights and gender programmes in their NSP. Such commitments include the review of national strategic plans to identify human rights and gender gaps; costing of gender and human rights activities; training of civil society on human rights and gender issues so they can have better input into the national planning process; and mobilizing additional funding to implement HIV programmes with integrated human rights and gender principles.

“While integrating human rights and gender equality in the national AIDS strategic plan would appear challenging amidst competing priorities, it is possible!” saib Mr Lole Laile Lole, Chairman of the South Sudan Network of People living with HIV.

Participants in the workshop included technical experts involved in HIV strategic planning at country level, officials from national AIDS commissions, Ministries of Health, Gender and Planning, civil society organizations and people living with HIV. A wide range of facilitators also participated including UNDP, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Bank, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Athena and Heard.

Countries selected to participate in the training were those currently engaged in adopting or revising national strategic plans to guide their response to the HIV epidemic. Two other such workshops will be held in 2011, one in Asia Pacific and one in the Middle East and North Africa.

Credit: Sonke Gender Justice

A new documentary film following the lives of four people in Africa aims at challenging patriarchy, end men’s violence against women and promote gender equality. Produced by Sonke Gender Justice and MenEngage, the film titled A Way to Justice: Engaging Men for Women’s Rights and Gender Transformation focuses on gender, HIV and human rights issues.

“We need to build creative initiatives, to transform gender norms and break through cultural barriers to create new masculinities. By fostering women and men’s leadership for gender equality, we can succeed in creating safer, more just societies and stopping violence against women and girls.” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

In the film individuals speak about the difficulties they confronted and transcended. David Tamba, a Sierra Leonean fleeing from civil war whose wife was gang-raped by rebels, began working with other men in refugee camps. “All men were viewed as bad men. But there were also men who were peaceful, who equally suffered, so the way to turn the story around was to start talking to our colleague men and go out and campaign for gender equality and empowerment of women,” said Mr Tamba.

Violence and the threat of violence hamper women and girls’ ability to adequately protect themselves from HIV infection and assert healthy decision making. The prevalence of forced first sex among adolescent girls younger than 15 years ranges between 11% and 45% globally. Adolescent girls and young women are among the most vulnerable groups to HIV infection.

On the periphery of the IAS 2011 conference taking place in Rome from 17-20 July 2011, UNAIDS in collaboration with the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS (GCWA), ATHENA, Salamander Trust, WECARe+ and Network Persone Seropositive convened a town hall dialogue to discuss how the HIV response facilitates the achievement of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all women, including women living with HIV, at every stage of their lives. 

For women living with HIV stigma and discrimination and gender-based violence acutely affect their access to comprehensive services and human rights. Within health services, they often face a lack of choice with regard to family planning; disapproval from service providers with regard to meeting sexuality and fertility desires; and violation of their sexual and reproductive rights in the form of coerced or forced abortion or sterilization. Participants agreed that advancing the health and rights of women in all their diversity is fundamental to the success of the HIV response, just as the HIV response is a critical avenue for achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights for women.

The event was also used as a platform to launch a report Community Innovation: Achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls through the HIV response. Compiled by UNAIDS and the ATHENA Network, it presents case studies pioneering community undertakings to advance women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights through the HIV response and vice-versa, from different community perspectives. This report recognizes that women face unique challenges to access and fulfil their sexual and reproductive health and rights, including gender-based violence, and therefore have less access to HIV prevention, care and support services.

“Women and girls at every level and throughout different stages of their lives must be supported to demand quality services that meet their needs and those of their community,” said UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programme, Dr Paul De Lay.

Learning from these community case studies is an opportunity to enhance the AIDS response, in light of the Millennium Development Goals and the 2011 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. The case studies indicate that for responses to be effective they must include the empowerment and inclusion of women in all their diversity, dedicate attention to sexual and reproductive health, including improvements in maternal and child health, and address the socio-cultural practices underlying gender inequality.

UNAIDS Getting to zero: strategy 2011-2015 also places gender equality and human rights as one of three core pillars. This report is part of that commitment to ensuring that women and girls’ rights are met through the HIV response and it was undertaken in the context of the UNAIDS Agenda for accelerated country action for women, girls, gender equality and HIV. 

“UNAIDS continues to be a strong advocate for women’s health and rights, as well as to strongly stand against stigma and discrimination amongst all marginalized groups. We will continue to do so until we have achieved the vision of zero discrimination,” said Dr De Lay.

L to R: Hendrica Okondo, World YWCA Regional Programme Director for Africa and the Middle East; Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA; Mathilda Parau, YWCA of Papua New Guinea; Lissette Herrera, President, YWCA of Peru; Joanna Kerr, Action Aid International; Jan Beagle UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management and External Relations; Gill Greer, Director General, IPPF.
Credit: YWCA

The World YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) hosted its fourth International Women's Summit (IWS) in Zurich, Switzerland from 12-13 July 2011. The event brought together more than 1 000 participants from over 100 countries to discuss issues facing women and girls today ranging from gender inequality, young women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights and HIV to the social and economic dimensions of violence against women.

"The Summit is an opportunity to lift our voices and demand women’s protection from violence. It is also an opportunity for possible remedies for survivors of violence and to affirm the leadership of women living with HIV. Our goal is to trigger action, achieve life changing results and make a real difference," said Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, General Secretary of the World YWCA.

Under the theme Women creating a safe world, participants defined equitable, safe and inclusive spaces and programmes for women. According to them, safe space is about the personal, economic and political security of women and girls, their right to live free from violence, to make choices about where to live and work, to move freely and participate in all facets of democracy. It is also to have full access to sexual and reproductive health services, including universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, free of stigma and discrimination.

Organized around plenary sessions, a wide range of speakers from around the world particpated, including H.E. Thokozani Khupe, Vice-Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Dr Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women, Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA, and Ms Mary Robinson, President of the Mary Robinson Foundation on Climate Justice. They challenged participants and enriched the debate with powerful ideas around the critical issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV, violence against women, peace and justice and human rights.

Speaking at the plenary on securing sexual and reproductive rights for all women, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management and External Relations, Ms Jan Beagle, highlighted that “for most women health is as much about social justice, dignity and equality of access to income, education and food, as it is about hospitals and medicines.”

“For UNAIDS, it is clear that gender equality and human rights, including sexual and reproductive rights, are non-negotiable elements to ensure effective HIV and health responses,” added Ms Beagle.

During the session, participants noted that a lack of contraception and unsafe sex are crucial risk factors for death and disability in women of reproductive age. The sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women living with HIV are often ignored and one fifth to a half of girls and young women report that their first sexual encounter was forced.

The key elements to overcoming this situation, according to the participants, are providing comprehensive HIV prevention; building the leadership of women, especially young women, in advocacy and provision of services; creating and sustaining safe and inclusive spaces and access to full and comprehensive information.

The need to link community services and programmes with policy-making and accountability was also highlighted during the summit. Women and girls must be empowered to meaningfully engage in building safer environments, whilst the primary responsibility for provision of services, safety and security lies with States and their public government institutions. Civil society need to engage and monitor states to ensure they fulfil their promises and commitments under international law as suggested by participants.

“National HIV strategies need to be tailored to the needs and rights of women and girls and include specific programmes and budgets that address gender inequalities, in order to translate the commitment and political will into adequate resource investment,” said Ms Beagle. “It is unacceptable that less than half (46%) of all countries allocate resources for the specific needs of women and girls in their national response to HIV,” she added. Ms Beagle also emphasized the need to harness the leadership capacity of young women in developing and implementing policies and programmes to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls.