"Addressing Violence against Women in HIV Responses in Eight Countries Worldwide"

1. "Addressing Violence against Women in HIV Responses in Eight CountriesWorldwide" Dr Jantine Jacobi, UNAIDS/GCWA jacobij@unaids.org New York, 29 February 2012

2. What are the facts?

3. Gender-based violence and HIV: Twin epidemics • Violence: a global phenomenon • Violence against women is a cause and a consequence of HIV • Multiple pathways • Recent research Tanzania: most girls do not disclose

4. Up to 45% of young girls below 15 years of age report forced first sex

5. Established association between violence and HIV Landmark study from South Africa shows that one in seven new HIV infections could have been prevented if the women were not subjected to physical or sexual abuse A picture.

6. New infections in young women are twice as high as males

7. Which actions have been taken?

8. New global environment for action: UNAIDS Agenda for Women and Girls • All forms of violence against women are girls are recognized as violation of human rights, to be addressed through the HIV response • Builds on the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE Campaign and the Together for Girls Initiative to address violence • Advocates for the engagement of men and boys to work with women for gender equality

9. Immediate outcomes • A global indicator on “prevalence of recent intimate partner violence” adopted as core indicator for country reporting • About 30 countries have been engaged in global planning around violence and male engagement • Catalytic funding for 23 Joint UN Teams to support countries to reduce gender‐based violence through HIV responses. • Support for advocacy and capacity development through civil society, e.g. the civil society coalition Women Won’t Wait • Joint UNAIDS/UN Women/Civil Society proposals for the UN Trust Fund on Violence

10. New global environment for actionUNAIDS Strategy: Getting to Zero • Gender transformative HIV responses that bring about equality and social change • Zero tolerance for violence against Women and Girls

11. New global environment for action: Security Council resolution 1983 Unanimously Adopting 1983 (2011), Security Council Encourages Inclusion of HIV  Prevention, Treatment, Care, Support in Implementing Peacekeeping Mandates.

12. New global environment for action: 2011 High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS Targets in the Political Declaration: Eliminate gender inequalities and gender-based abuse and violence and increase capacity of women and girls to protect themselves from HIV.

13. New global environment for action: Investment Framework for the Global HIV Response Gender equality is a critical enabler for a effective HIV response, because harmful gender norms and gender inequalities are major drivers of the HIV epidemic.

14. New global environment for action: GCWA Global Advocacy • Young women in rural South Africa, who often experienced sexual abuse in childhood, had a 66% greater risk of HIV infection compare to those who had not been abused. • Effective approaches include: Stepping Stones, Image, One Man Can, and One Stop Crisis Centre.

15. New global environment for action: UNAIDS Country Scorecard • As of December 2011, 94 countries were engaged in the roll-out, with the help of more than 700 civil society organizations. • Less than 20% of countries have national data on the intersection between gender-based violence and HIV. • About 40% of countries’ health sector policies include gender-based violence. 

16. Mid-term evaluation of the UNAIDS agenda for Women and Girls • As requested by the UNAIDS Programme Coordination Board • Review of the country achievements and challenges • Through desk review, interviews and possibly country visits • Engaging different partners (Co-sponsors, civil society, development partners) • With the aim to accelerate implementation

17. Thank you