Stepping Up The Pace- Gender Inequality and HIV

Stepping Up The Pace-Gender Inequality and HIV Jennifer Gatsi Mallet Namibia Women’s Health Network / ICW

Presentationoutline Introduction and background Gender and AIDS programme priorities Community responses to HIV and gender inequality Recommendations for addressing HIV and gender inequality

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!

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 Gender and AIDS programme priorities

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 plans Guatemala: 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

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 ThailandPositive Women’s group (pwg)

GENDER INEQUALITY WITHIN MARRIAGES IndiaBreakthrough #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 Ensure that gender equity and action to address HIV are included in the post-2015 development agenda Address gender-biased norms at the family and household level Improve enjoyment of legal rights for women and non-conforming men

WOMEN WARING VIOLENT OF THE WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT FOR AN EQUALITY CAMPAIGN 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

AlbaniaUseful to Albanian Women (UAW) “International Women’s Day is not a day to celebrate but a day to protest” UAW campaign slogan WOMEN WITH BANNERS AND LOUD SPEAKERS IMPROVING LEGAL RIGHTS FOR WOMEN

recommendations Address masculinity and men’s role Support gender-positive religious involvement Increase funding for community-based gender and HIV work Promote economic empowerment Increase meaningful involvement of women living with HIV and other people affected by gender inequality Governments must end practices of forced/coerced sterilisation and must promote WLHIVs SRHR.

Partingthoughts “Act, act, act. You can’t just watch.” - Angles Serrano

Stepping Up The Pace- Gender Inequality and HIV