Message from the Commonwealth Secretary-General - International Women’s Day: Women and AIDS
4 March 2004
A few months ago I met an HIV positive young woman from Chennai, India. She was visiting London to talk about her work as a Young Ambassador for Positive Living, providing support to other HIV sufferers and running prevention campaigns. She told me about her experience with the programme and how it helped her take control over her own life: "As long as I can help others and prevent them getting infected, I know my life is not wasted," she said.
I found this young woman's courage and determination very inspiring, particularly in the face of the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS.
Commonwealth developing countries account for 60% of the 42 million people living with HIV. The nine most seriously affected countries are all Commonwealth members. Half of all people living with HIV in the world are female, and in some regions this figure is greater.
It is therefore highly appropriate that International Women's Day 2004 focuses on the role of women, their rights, contributions and responsibilities in addressing the global challenge of HIV/AIDS.
The Commonwealth's partnership with UNAIDS and other organizations to launch the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, in February 2004, demonstrates its commitment to addressing the gender dimensions of HIV/AIDS. We will work tirelessly to raise public awareness, undertake advocacy and continue to strengthen policy and programme level action in member countries. We are working with member governments toward the introduction and more effective implementation of national policies on HIV/AIDS and gender as these are vital in the fight against the pandemic.
AIDS intensifies poverty, and women bear the brunt of its social and economic impact. In high prevalence countries, girls' enrolment in school has decreased in the past decade because girls are the first to be pulled out of school to care for sick relatives or to look after younger siblings. This has worrying implications, not least because there is increasing evidence that education is one of the key defences against the spread of the virus, and the ability to deal with its impact.
Women living with HIV are often stigmatised and discriminated against. They face the loss of property, land, even access to their children, as a result of their HIV status, and many face violence and abuse. Yet despite the widespread recognition of these factors, women's voices in decision-making - even around HIV/AIDS policies, programmes and the allocation of resources - are rarely heard.
The Commonwealth HIV/AIDS Programme adopts a multi-sectoral approach, focusing on effecting specific changes in areas that have a direct impact on the lives of women and girls. The linkages it creates between groups of activists, government representatives and community workers help to catalyse action and facilitate collaboration and support for innovative efforts benefiting women and girls.
The Youth Ambassadors for Positive Living is a flagship programme of the Commonwealth Secretariat. Working out of the Commonwealth's Regional Youth Centres, the programme mobilises young people who are HIV positive to fight the pandemic through peer education and other awareness programmes which do a great deal to address stigma and discrimination about the disease.
In marking International Women's Day 2004, I urge all Commonwealth Governments, associations, civil society organisations and citizens to address the gender dimension of the HIV/AIDS menace, so we can deal more effectively with the pandemic which is sapping this generation of its most valuable asset: human beings.
To visit the home page of the Commonwealth Secretariat Gender Programme Click here
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