10-11-2009 LETTER TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UNAIDS, MICHEL SIDIBE. The International AIDS Women’s Caucus (IAWC) writes a letter to UNAIDS Executive Director on November 3rd to thank him for the thoughtful process thus far on the Operational Plan for the UNAIDS Action Framework: Addressing Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV. [see IAWC letter] [see Michel Sidibe response]

19-10-2009 Sex Work and Human Rights in Asia--2009. Video by the Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW) with interviews from the APNSW Human Rights workshop in Bangkok in July 2009, covering the key issues for sex workers' human rights in Asia. [see video]

26-06-2009 VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. Washington, DC – Vice President Biden, the author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act, announced today the appointment of Lynn Rosenthal as the new White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. Ms. Rosenthal is one of the nation’s foremost experts in domestic violence policy, and has worked at the local, state and national levels to create an environment where violence against women is not ignored and perpetrators are held accountable. This is a newly created position at the White House, dedicated specifically to advising the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues. | Download | Español

23-06-2009 LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, BARACK OBAMA. The International AIDS Women’s Caucus (IAWC) writes to you with deep concern regarding the recent appointment of Ms. Alexia Kelley as the new director of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. | Download

12-05-2009 LETTER TO THE VIENNA CCC TO RECONSIDER THE IAS DEFINITION OF YOUTH. We have noted the steady increase in youth attendees at the IAC over the years: from only 200 participants under 30 years of age in Barcelona, to 450 in Bangkok; 1000 in Toronto and nearly 1500 in Mexico. Whilst we have seen more young participants, especially young women, at the conference, the current age limitation still inhibits young people from being able to contribute to the conference and possibly access the scholarship process. | Download

29-04-2009 MISOPROSTOL ADDED TO WHO MODEL LIST OF ESSENTIAL MEDICINES FOR TREATMENT OF INCOMPLETE ABORTION AND MISCARRIAGE. The World Health Organization announced the inclusion of misoprostol to its Model List of Essential Medicines based on its proven safety and efficacy for the treatment of incomplete abortion and miscarriage. The judgment was made by an expert committee that evaluated available evidence, which includes several guidelines and numerous randomized and comparative clinical trials for this indication. | Download

29-04-2009 SURVIVAL OF INFANTS BORN TO HIV-POSITIVE MOTHER by Feeding Modality, in Rakai, Uganda. Data comparing survival of formula-fed to breast-fed infants in programmatic settings are limited. We compared mortality and HIV-free of breast and formula-fed infants born to HIV-positive mothers in a program in rural, Rakai District Uganda. | Download

16-04-2009 HEALTH ADVOCATES TOUT NEW MODEL OF FEMALE CONDOM. Advocates of the female condom are promoting a less costly, more user-friendly version that they hope will vastly expand its role in the global fight against AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. An early version of the female condom was introduced in 1993, and it remains the only available woman-initiated form of protection against both STDs and unintended pregnancy. | Download

23-02-2009 LETTER TO MICHAEL SIDIBE Executive Director UNAIDS. As members of the Working Group of “With Women Worldwide—A Compact to End HIV/AIDS”, we would like to offer our congratulations on your appointment as the Executive Director of UNAIDS. The Compact (http://www.withwomenworldwide.org) is an action agenda, signed by over 300 organizations from seven constituencies and 50 countries, to bring about the policy changes needed to prevent new infections in women and young people, and to ensure their equitable access to treatment, care, and support.| Download

26-06-2009 VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. Washington, DC – Vice President Biden, the author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act, announced today the appointment of Lynn Rosenthal as the new White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. Ms. Rosenthal is one of the nation’s foremost experts in domestic violence policy, and has worked at the local, state and national levels to create an environment where violence against women is not ignored and perpetrators are held accountable. This is a newly created position at the White House, dedicated specifically to advising the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues. | Download |

22-11-2008 LIBERIA WOMEN WON'T WAIT STATEMENT. In We are writing in reference to a statement made by Liberia’s Information Minister, Lawrence Bropleh on the rape of a 9 year old girl and associated insinuations that men who want to rape should seek older women and sex workers for such ‘services’. As women of Liberia, we are grateful and recognize the high level of political will and robust women’s rights agenda of President Sirleaf. | Download

21-10-2008 FOREIGN ASSISTANCE REFORM AND SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS. In 2006, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice introduced the Bush Administration’s plan to reorganize foreign assistance to bring greater coherence to the country’s aid structure. Since then, a number of think tanks and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have offered recommendations to streamline the myriad existing U.S. agencies that distribute foreign assistance.
| Download

02-10-08 CIRCUMCISION HIV IMPACT DOUBTED. There is no hard evidence that circumcision protects gay men from HIV, research shows. African trials have shown circumcision cuts the likelihood of female to male HIV transmission by up to 60%. But a US analysis of data on 53,567 men who have sex with other men found HIV rates were not significantly lower among those who were circumcised. | Download
Related articles:
“Circumcision and HIV Prevention Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: No final word" | Download

“Circumcision Status and Risk of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Men Who Have Sex With Men” | Download

02-10-08 USAID BANS CONTRACEPTIVE SUPPLIES TO LEADING FAMILY. Today, the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) strongly condemned the Bush administration for its efforts to prevent foreign governments from providing U.S.-donated contraceptive supplies to Marie Stopes International (MSI), a UK-based organization that provides family planning services globally. | Download

15-09-08 GYNAECOLOGICAL MORBIDITY IN HIV INFECTED PREGNANT WOMENGynaecological morbidity in HIV infected pregnant women has been largely ignored by researchers despite its frequency and severity, according to astudy conducted among HIV-positive women in Cameroon. | Download

12-09-08 LETTER TO MS. JAMESINA KING, CHAIRPERSON, HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF SIERRA LEONE. The International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW) is the only international network of women living with HIV/AIDS with membership in Africa, including West, East, and Southern Africa. We are writing today, with the support of our allies, to express our concerns about Sierra Leone’s Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS Act of 2007 (HIV and AIDS Act) as it pertains to women and girls.. | Download

19-08-08 AT MEETING ON AIDS, FOCUS SHIFTS TO LONG HAUL. MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Two years have passed since the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto, and the contrast between that meeting and the 17th, which ended here this month, was humbling. In Toronto, the mood was almost giddy, with celebrities like Bill Gates and Bill Clinton drawing huge crowds as they championed the development of H.I.V. vaccines and microbicides... | Download

31-07-08 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES SHOULD PROMOTE USE OF DIAPHRAGM. MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Dr Mabel Bianco, vice chair of International Women's Health Coalition, bemoans the fact that many developing countries are still not promoting the use of the diaphragm contraceptive, although it's shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by as much as 60 per cent. | Download

04-03-08 HIV&AIDS PROGRAMMES AND FINANCIAL ALLOCATIONS CONTINUE TO FAIL WOMEN AND GIRLS. (New York) — On its one year anniversary, the Women Won’t Wait. End HIV and Violence against Women. NOW! Campaign remains concerned that women’s rights still occupy the margins of HIV&AIDS strategies and funding. The campaign was launched on International Women’s Day—March 8, 2007—to demand that policy makers and donors integrate responses to violence against women in global and national AIDS programmes and allocate resources to these responses. | Download

20-02-08 Draft Gender Guidelines, letter to Peter Piot Executive Director of UNAIDS. We write to express serious concern about the current draft of the gender guidelines prepared for the UNAIDS PCB in April...| Download

05-01-08 Vertical funding patterns for HIV in the Global South. In 2007 APNSW organised a regional dialogue between networks in our region working in the areas of HIV, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Women's Human Rights. It was part of a larger project coordinated by FEIM in Argentina. Attached is a draft paper that APNSW commissioned from a health economist at Pune University who does a lot of work with the Indian Network of Sex Workers. It's extremely interesting given the current discussions about funding, and was really useful at our meeting to get some discussion happening around this notion that HIV is so well funded and importantly to build solidarity between the SRH and  HIV sectors rather than allowing others to pit us against each other. Andrew Hunter, APNSW. | Download

04-01-08 Global AIDS Alliance Fund: Response to "Putting a Plague in Perspective", New York Time oped by Daniel Halperin, January 1, 2008. | Download

04-10-07 Spotlight on Bernice Heloo & the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa. Bernice Heloo is the President of the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA International), a Pan African NGO working in 41 African countries. SWAA's aims are to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and children in Africa and empower women to enjoy their economic, social and political rights. | Download

04-10-07 The U.S. Senate delivered a victory for women and girls across the world. The State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill ("Foreign Ops bill"), H.R. 2764 passed the full Senate by a margin of 81-12 votes with key provisions that will promote and protect the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls in developing countries. | Download

05-09-07 Update draft Operations Manual chapters. The UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights issued a statement and recommendations on scaling up HIV testing and counselling. The statement is the result of an exhaustive discussion within the Reference Group on the WHO/UNAIDS Guidance on Provider-initiated HIV Testing and Counselling in Health Facilities. It reflects the Reference Group's views that there is a need to pay special attention to human rights issues in the course of the implementation of this Guidance. We hope that you will find this statement helpful and that it will complement and strengthen your efforts to ensure that HIV testing and counselling are expanded in ways that maximise benefits to individuals and public health and respect, protect, and fulfil human rights. We would be grateful if you would assist it to be circulated and draw it to the attention of relevant persons. The statement is currently highlighted on the UNAIDS home page (www.unaids.org) and is also available at  http://data.unaids.org/pub/ExternalDocument/2007/20070905_rghr_statement_testing_en.pdf

10-08-07 The Fidelity Fallacy: The Link between HIV Infection and Marriage. Fidelity in marriage is not a fail-safe way for women to protect themselves against HIV infection, although it is a method often touted by conservative policy makers. A recent study shows that infidelity in marriage is part of the cultural fabric of many societies and therefore a factor that must be addressed in the response to HIV and AIDS. This issue is explored in an article written by Serrra Sippel, an IAWC Steering Committee member from CHANGE. | Download

10-08-07 The President of South Africa fired the country’s Deputy Health Minister, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, and with her will go the recently achieved advances in access to ARV treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS. | Download

01-08-07 In response to the recent failure of testing on the effectiveness of diaphragms in HIV prevention, Zena A. Stein, Professor of Epidemiology and Psychiatry Emerita at Columbia University authored this open letter to the Gates Foundation. She encourages them to continue to fund research on HIV prevention methods that can be utilized by women. Professor Stein continues to be a strong supporter of women’s rights. Thanks Zena! | Download

31-07-07 UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown addressed the United Nations in New York on July 31st, 2007. His speech highlighted the commitment of rich countries to poor countries and the importance of meeting the Millennium Development Goals. | Download

30-07-07 NGOs Lead by Example: World's International NGOs Endorse Accountability Charter, In June of 2006, Action Aid International, Amnesty International, CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Consumers International, Greenpeace International, Oxfam International, the International Save the Children Alliance, Survival International, International Federation Terre des Hommes, Transparency International and World YWCA, international leaders in human rights, environmental and social development, endorsed an Accountability Charter for the non-profit sector. This document is the first international, cross-sectoral code of conduct for Non-governmental Organizations and sets out core values and operating principles, seeking to demonstrate that NGOs deeply value public trust, do not take it for granted and are committed to sustaining and deepening that trust. | Download

06-07-07 Thailand to launch Condom Campaign, Implement Legal Protection for Women whose partners refuse to use condoms, Thailand’s Public Health Minister is concerned about the rising HIV infection rate in Thailand, particularly among women.  He is considering launching a Condom Campaign to promote condom use within marriage, availability of condoms in hotel rooms, and hopefully legal protection for women whose partners refuse to wear condoms during sex. | Download

02-07-07 Impact of African conflicts on women worries SWAA, The Society for Women and Aids in Africa (SWAA International) in a declaration issued Sunday on the fringes of the African Union (AU) summit in Accra, Ghana, expressed deep concern about the consequences of conflicts on women and children in Africa. Therefore, SWAA called on African leaders to respect democratic principles and accelerate efforts to settle conflicts in Africa. | Download

22-06-07 Victory (is) in the House!, Population Action International celebrated an important victory for women and their families last week, as Congress passed a Foreign Operations Appropriations bill (H.R. 2764 ) that contained language correcting some of the most egregious aspects of U.S. international sexual and reproductive health policy. Washington DC, June 22, 2007. | Download

14-06-07 Amnesty International defends access to abortion for women at risk. Today firmly stood by the rights of women and girls to be free from threat, force or coercion as they exercise their sexual and reproductive rights. June, 14 2007. | Download

12-06-07 Remark Delivered, by Stephen Lewis, Co-Director of AIDS-Free World at the Results Educational Fund Annual Conference, Washington DC, June 12, 2007. | Download

25-04-07 First step for CL/Efavirenz in Brazil, Brazil takes the first step to break patent for Efavirenz. In declaration published today, 25/04/2007, in the Union Official Diary, the Health Ministry declares the Efavirenz as public utility, aiming the concession of compulsory license. Merck, the owner of the Efavirenz patent, has seven days to present a purpose to the Brazilian Government, or the compulsory license can be done. The organized civil society is following the process and will improve the efforts for the compulsory license to be released.
GESTOS - Soropositividade, Comunicação e Gênero | www.gestos.org | (Spanish - Portuguese)  

19-10-06 Panama Declaration 2006 - "Nothing for us without us", within the framework of the 1st Latin American and Caribbean Conference of women, Adolescents and Girls and the 7th Regional Meeting of Women from ICW Latina. | (English - Spanish)