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 FrameworkAfrica: 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 role5. Support gender-positive religious involvement6. Increase funding for community-based gender and HIV work7. Promote economic empowerment8. 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