World YWCA to have a strong presence at AIDS 2010
With its team of 24 women from Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and the Caribbean, including 12 young women and 5 women living with HIV, the World YWCA plans to let it’s voice be heard at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria
The World YWCA has once again been very active both on the Conference Coordinating Committee in the preparations leading up to the conference and in seeing to it that the challenges women and girls face daily are visible in the programme and clearly addressed in Vienna.
The association will share its work on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and HIV and AIDS; influence the policy debates and impact programmes; ensure capacity building and give visibility to young women and HIV-positive women visible at the conference
Its delegation will both attend workshops and activities and host multiple sessions addressing various issues, as well as seek to engage activists for women’s rights and HIV of different ages, persons living with HIV and persons affected by HIV.
The first session “An Intergenerational Conversation: Does The Struggle For Realising The Human Rights Of Women Still Matter To Young Women?” will be held on July 18, 2010. Its goal is to create a dialogue between activists of different ages, and identify opportunities and challenges in creating a unified movement and action toward this end. The second session - “Our Bodies, Our Rights: Young Women's Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.” - will be held twice, on July 19 and again on July 22. It is designed as a safe space where the young women attending the conference may reflect and discuss issues such as SRHR and linkages to HIV, as well as violence against young women (VAW).
On July 20, the World YWCA will host two sessions: “Wanted: Comprehensive Solutions for All Women,” aims to emphasise the linkages between SRHR, HIV and VAW and promote combined elements of empowerment, safety and information in achieving comprehensive prevention for women and girls. In the Faith Networking Zone, the World YWCA will host an “Interactive Dialogue - Women of Faith Creating a Safer World: Addressing Stigma and Discrimination.” This dialogue will describe the situation in different regions, and explore best practices, including from young women’s perspectives, and how women of faith are creating safer worlds that address stigma and discrimination.
In addition to hosting sessions, the World YWCA will be visible in the Global Village with its safe spaces booth where women attending the conference may meet and share with one another. Participants and visitors will also have the opportunity to share their ideas and learn how the World YWCA defines safe spaces for women, young women and girls.
Nearly 30 years into the HIV epidemic, HIV programmes and policies still do not sufficiently address the specific realities and needs of women and girls, or respect and protect their human rights. Vienna offers the opportunity to bring these issues to the forefront and make participants aware of the benefits to whole communities when women are empowered to assert their human rights.
View full list of World YWCA Sessions for AIDS 2010, Vienna
Download:
