WUNRN
"Despite
repeated calls for women’s participation and the increasing attention to and
resources allocated for HIV and AIDS, women’s full participation in the AIDS
response has still not been realized, according to the results of a review by
UNIFEM and the ATHENA Network presented on 6 August 2008 at the XVII International AIDS Conference
in Mexico City."
Direct Link to Executive Summary of
Review Report:
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UNIFEM
AND THE ATHENA NETWORK LAUNCH RESULTS OF A REVIEW OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP AND
PARTICIPATION IN THE AIDS RESPONSE
Mexico City — Despite repeated calls for women’s participation and the increasing attention to and resources allocated for HIV and AIDS, women’s full participation in the AIDS response has still not been realized, according to the results of a review by UNIFEM and the ATHENA Network presented on 6 August 2008 at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. The study notes, “This is particularly true for women who are most affected by the epidemic as for far too long HIV-positive women have been invited only after agendas have been set or policy decisions taken.”
The research reflects an extensive nine-month global review of existing documentation and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and presents an assessment of the level and quality of participation by women most affected by the epidemic. At the session where the research was launched, entitled “Women Take the Lead,” Tyler Crone of the ATHENA Network told participants: “Women are on the front lines leading initiatives central to the success of the AIDS response yet they are not full participants at all levels of the response. The power of their participation needs to be fully realized.”
The review contains a roadmap for action with recommendations for advancing women’s leadership and participation through addressing obstacles they face; developing standards for meaningful participation; strengthening the capacity of affected women, particularly HIV-positive women; and investing in longer-term commitments to leadership development, sustained technical support, training and resources.
“It is necessary to fulfill the commitments made to ensuring women’s and girls’ voices, concerns and perspectives are incorporated in the decision-making processes that affect their lives,” said Teresa Rodríguez, UNIFEM Regional Programme Director for Mexico, Central America, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. “HIV-positive women and other key populations need to be more than bystanders or advisors in the formation of the content and direction of the AIDS response; they must be supported to be leaders.”
The findings and recommendations from the review were released in a four-page executive summary during the conference.
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