Organised
by:
World YWCA and the International Community of Women
Living with HIV and AIDS (ICW)
Where: Kenyatta International Conference Center,
Nairobi, Kenya
When: July 4, 2007
HIV positive women from around the world will gather in Nairobi, Kenya on July 4, 2007 at the Positive Women’s Forum to address issues of concern for positive women such as women’s leadership and economic empowerment; affordable health care and treatment; advocacy around gender inequality; stigma and discrimination and human rights including Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of women and girls.
“We hope to further
unite the positive women’s movement to move the HIV and AIDS agenda forward for
positive women. We also hope to nurture new leadership and partnerships between
the YWCAs and the positive women’s movement,” says Sophie Dilmitis, World YWCA
HIV and AIDS Coordinator, who has lead the organising team in preparation for the
Forum.
The Positive
Women’s Forum is open exclusively to HIV positive
women.
Mary
Robinson, former
president of Ireland, and honorary patron of ICW will open the Positive Women’s
Forum and Dr. Musimibi Kanyoro, General Secretary of the World YWCA will
provide closing remarks.
Speakers at the Positive Women’s Forum include:
§
Dawn Averitt
Bridge, founder of The Well Project, an
accomplished speaker, published writer on women’s health issues and one of the
United State’s most prominent HIV and AIDS advocates.
§
Irina
Borushek,
co-founder of the All-Ukrainian
Network of People Living with HIV, an advocates for effective involvement of
People Living with HIV (PLWH) into decision-making.
§
Lynde
Francis,
Director and founder
of The Centre,
Zimbabwe, a community-based
organisation run by and for PLWH, she is a long term activist diagnosed HIV
positive 21 years ago.
§
Martha Judith
Naigwe,
21-year-old
activist from Uganda, born HIV positive, is often invited to speak to young
people, teachers and groups that work with the youth.
§
Gcebile
Ndlovu,
Southern Africa regional representative to ICW, a qualified
surgical nurse and midwife, teaches community members the art of caring for the
terminally ill.
§
Dorothy
Onyango,
executive Director and founder member of women fighting AIDS in Kenya
(WOFAK), forefront in fighting for rights of women living with and affected by
HIV.
§
Kousalya
Perisasamy,
founder of Positive Women
Network of South India (PWN+), is credited with pioneering the concept of
support groups for people living with HIV in India.
§
Stephanie,
15-year-old
activist from Australia is an emerging leader in advocacy for people living with
HIV, particularly young people.
§
Deborah V.
Williams,
is a leader in HIV and AIDS educations in the Caribbean, she sits on the Board of the Caribbean Regional
Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS.
The World YWCA is one of the largest women’s organisations in the world reaching 25 million women and girls in 125 countries; in 1999 it made HIV and AIDS its global priority. The International Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS (ICW) is the only international network run for and by HIV positive women with members in over 90 countries.
Media are invited
to cover the Positive Women’s Forum by attending a press conference on July 4,
0615 GMT at the Kenyatta International Conference Center. Speeches and
interviews will be made available on
request.
Apply for media accreditation today at www.worldywca.org
For more
information: Kaburo Kobia, Director of Communications, World YWCA T: +41-22-9296030