Stepping Up The Pace-Gender Inequality and HIV
Jennifer Gatsi MalletNamibia Women’s Health Network / ICW
Introduction and background Gender and AIDS programme priorities Community responses to HIV and gender
inequality Recommendations for addressing HIV and
gender inequality
Presentation outline
GENDER INEQUALITY & HIV
Women as leaders break down gender-biased norms
Women and girls have great vulnerability (e.g., perinatal transmission programmes almost force them to reveal their serostatus)
Men’s engagement and vulnerability must be addressed, too!
GENDER AND AIDS PROGRAMME PRIORITIES
Some ideologies and practices promote heterosexual male dominance and the subordination and marginalisation of women and non-conforming men
GBV: who is “wrong” and who is a “victim”? Understanding the gender dimensions of HIV helps
foster a more sustainable response to AIDS Capacity-building instead of blame at the community
level
COMMUNITY RESPONSES TO HIV & GENDER INEQUALITY
Education Gender-based violence Enjoyment of human rights for women Media work on HIV and gender
ZAMBIA COPPERBELT HEALTH EDUCATION PROJECT (CHEP)
YOUTH EDUCATION PEER HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM
ZAMBIA COPPERBELT HEALTH EDUCATION PROJECT (CHEP)
Health education and HIV prevention Peer-education programmes for out-of-school
youth, in-school youth and vulnerable children Games and sports used to encourage
reconsideration of gender-based stereotypes and stigmas
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE & NATIONAL HIV PLANSGuatemala: National Action Framework
Africa: Engaging men and preventing gender-based violence within National Strategic Plans on HIV
THAILANDPOSITIVE WOMEN’S GROUP (PWG)
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND SECURITY
THAILANDPOSITIVE WOMEN’S GROUP (PWG)
Improve quality of life through economic empowerment and peer support
Mobilize women living with HIV towards self-reliance
Support for women’s income-generating actions
INDIABREAKTHROUGH
GENDER INEQUALITY WITHIN MARRIAGES
#BETHATGUY CAMPAIGN TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO FIGHT VIOLENCE AGAINT WOMEN
STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN ITS TRACKS
INDIABREAKTHROUGH
Use of media, arts, pop culture, and technology as an educational tool for human rights issues in South Asia and abroad to reach mass audiences
Emphasis on married women who are more vulnerable to HIV than commercial sex workers
Challenging of gender stereotypes such as excusing rape with “boys will be boys”
To the middle right: campaign to reclaim public space for women, Delhi. To the right: Cartoon on gender-biased sex selection
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Ensure that gender equity and action to address HIV are included in the post-2015 development agenda
2. Address gender-biased norms at the family and household level
3. Improve enjoyment of legal rights for women and non-conforming men
ALBANIAUSEFUL TO ALBANIAN WOMEN (UAW)
See gender justice as an integral part of an Albanian democratic society
Support women in court Training on gender equality for
judges, journalists and media personnel
Ensure laws are implemented Promote women’s participation
in public campaigns, decision-making and community action
WOMEN WARING VIOLENT OF THE WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT FOR AN EQUALITY CAMPAIGN
ALBANIAUSEFUL TO ALBANIAN WOMEN (UAW)
WOMEN WITH BANNERS AND LOUD SPEAKERS
IMPROVING LEGAL RIGHTS FOR WOMEN
“International Women’s Day is not a day to celebrate but a day to protest”UAW campaign slogan
RECOMMENDATIONS
4. Address masculinity and men’s role
5. Support gender-positive religious involvement
6. Increase funding for community-based gender and HIV work
7. Promote economic empowerment
8. Increase meaningful involvement of women living with HIV and other people affected by gender inequality
9. Governments must end practices of forced/coerced sterilisation and must promote WLHIVs SRHR.
“ACT, ACT, ACT. YOU CAN’T JUST
WATCH.” - ANGLES SERRANO
Parting thoughts