Campaigns

An initiative launched Friday 6th of July, in Nairobi, Kenya at the YWCA's International Women's Summit: Women's Leadership Making a Difference on HIV and AIDS.

The continuing discrimination and violence faced by women and those living with HIV and AIDS advocates in South Africa is enormous and warrants the attention and action of government officials and the international community.

It is an honor to be invited to speak here today.
I am a woman living with HIV for over 22 years. I am a proud member of the International community of Women living with HIV and AIDS also known as ICW. ICW is the only international network run for and by HIV positive women. ICW was founded in 1992 in response to the desperate lack of support, information and services available to women living with HIV worldwide and our need to have influence and input on policy and program development.

Networks of positive people around the world are mobilizing around World AIDS Day and the following very brief and simple document aims to capture and promote some of this work. Please feel free to use this document in whatever way you feel fit, perhaps circulating to colleagues to provide a brief, broad overview of the various networks around Dec 1st or to send to media if they ask for general background on the networks’ World AIDS Day efforts. If anyone has other information about what various networks are doing around the world then please do forward it to the contact below.

Wake up UK; Wake up the UK government

HIV is not a problem confined to a particular group of people or a particular way of life. All of us are vulnerable and all of us are at risk from what is now the fastest-growing infection in the UK. What puts us at risk is:
• stigmatising those we believe are associated with HIV and ignoring our own risk;
• inequality which puts women in situations where they feel they can not discuss sex with their sexual partners;
• high levels of intoxication with drugs or alcohol, which can erode inhibitions and prevent people from taking proper precautions.

People living with HIV/AIDS start documenting Human Rights Violations.
World AIDS Day 2005 saw a series of human rights violations against people living with HIV/AIDS, including murders of AIDS activists in Jamaica and Honduras. Today, a broad coalition of people living with HIV/AIDS has decided to collect documented events of social injustice, stigma and discrimination, criminalisation, (sexual) violence and other Human Rights violations involving people living with HIV/AIDS. The events will be analysed and the collection published on the occasion of World AIDS Day 2006.

For The 16 days of activism to end Violence Against Women (25th November – 10th December)
The International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS declares our full support for a South African woman who recently accused the former Deputy President of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma, of rape.

Help us to make 2005 the year of HIV positive women's leadership

2005 is a year of important international milestones for the global response to HIV/AIDS. The Millennium Development Summit, the annual United Nations General Assembly Review of the Declaration of Commitment, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria's Replenishment Conference, all provide opportunities this year for the international community and government figures from around the world to reiterate their commitment to working towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals and the targets set by the UN General Assembly's Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS.

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.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international
campaign that runs from November 25 to December 10 each year. For information about this year's campaign, including a detailed Theme Announcement and a 2004 Take Action Kit, please visit: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/home.html.