AIDS death among women unnecessary - Joint Media Release - World AIDS Day

International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS – Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative - World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts - World YWCA

“The stark truth is: millions of women and girls are dying unnecessarily on our watch. They are dying because they are unable to protect themselves from the AIDS virus, and when infected they can’t get proper nutrition to prolong their lives or anti retroviral drugs when these become necessary. It is a scandal which we can no longer tolerate,” said Mary Robinson, former United Nations Human Rights Commissioner and President of the Republic of Ireland, on the release of the latest UNAIDS report revealing that the number of women living with HIV has risen worldwide over the past two years.

Robinson’s organisation, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, has joined forces with three leading international women’s organisations working on HIV/AIDS, to raise awareness of the issues facing women on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2004. With women making up nearly half of the 37.2 million adults living with AIDS, the group aims to mobilise women’s leadership through their combined global outreach of 54 million women and girls in 150 countries. It includes the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW), the World YWCA and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

“AIDS is a global crisis and today, it bears the face of a woman. While the challenges presented by this crisis are great, we want to make it clear that these challenges are not cause for hopelessness and resignation, but for leadership and action,” said Musimbi Kanyoro, General Secretary of the World YWCA, anorganisation currently delivering HIV/AIDS and reproductive health programmes to women and girls in 62 countries.

Alice Welbourn, Chair of ICW, an international network striving to raise the voices and issues of the 19 million HIV positive women worldwide, said that “AIDS challenges us to tackle the greatest taboos facing humanity, no matter where we live on the planet. These are sex, race, religion, poverty and death. The task before us is extraordinary, but then so are many of the groups of people who are facing it. They are creating innovative ways of thinking and working and, in the process, reshaping the world for the mutual benefit of all. The responsibility for the rest of society is to provide the support and resources they need".

Lesley Bulman, Chief Executive of WAGGGS, believes that greater attention needs to focus on young women and girls: “with young women making up 76% of young people living with HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, preventative education and support services need to start early. Young women can play a crucial role in educating their peers about HIV and changing attitudes of entire generations”.

WAGGGS delivers peer education programmes in over 50 countries designed to educate and inform members about HIV and AIDS.

“We call on women leaders at every level around the world to get engaged and take action urgently. Let us show that working together we can make a difference”, said Robinson.
Kanyoro also emphasised the importance of partnership with men: “Working with men in leadership is not an option neither is it a choice. It is a solution. It is an asset. We need to partner with men in order to address the masculine norms and behaviours that increase the risk of infection for both men and women.”

“The AIDS pandemic has only just begun and creates a threat like no other to the stability and fabric of many of the world's richly diverse societies. Different sectors of society can contribute to a shared vision of how the world might treat HIV positive women and girls and their families and communities. There are many groups who have a significant role to play,” added Welbourn.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
For interview with Mary Robinson (EGI) or Alice Welbourne (ICW) in London, UK:
Emma Bell, ICW
T: +44-20-77040606 E: emmaicw.org

For interview with Musimbi Kanyoro (World YWCA) in Geneva, Switzerland:
Michelle Beg, World YWCA
T: +41-22-9296030 M: +41-787196025 E: michelle.begworldywca.org

For interview with Lesley Bulman (WAGGGS) in London, UK:
Charlotte Barran, WAGGGS
T: +44-20-77941181 E: charlottewagggsworld.org