Women, Peace and Security Resources: HIV and AIDS

WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY RESOURCES : HIV/AIDS
Civil Society and NGO Reports, Papers and Statements | UN Documents | Government Statements and Reports | Books, Journals and Article

UNIFEM WOMEN, WAR AND PEACE WEB PORTAL: HIV

Civil Society and NGO Reports, Papers and Statements

Psychosocial assistance to children in difficult circumstances in West Africa
Alice Behrendt
AIDS CONFERENCE MEXICO CITY 2008, June 2008
In regions like West Africa, where many children are living on the streets, are trafficked and/or exploited for child labour (domestic servants, miners etc.) or are forced into combat in a civil war, psychosocial support interventions are a key strategy for developing human capital. Despite the difficult living conditions in West Africa, little research has been conducted on the needs of children suffering from psychological distress and on the efficiency of existing psychosocial support. In order to close this gap and wanting to learn more about the impact of poverty, armed conflict, political instability and HIV/ AIDS on children’s development, Plan and the USAID funded project AWARE-HIV/AIDS of Family Health international have implemented a five-country research entitled “Psychosocial support to children in difficult circumstances”.

This study has been implemented from January 07 to June 08 with the support of 7 regional consultants and 17 national consultants. The overall objectives were to improve the offer of psychosocial support services for children in West Africa and to establish and support a network of providers (individuals and organisations) by means of two strategies:

(1) The assessment of the mental health state and psychosocial needs of children in five different high risk contexts;
(2) The analysis of existing services in the West African region in order to identify best practices and lessons learnt.

To read the research paper, please click HERE

Women and Girls Living with HIV/AIDS: Overview and Annotated Bibliography
By: Emily Esplen and The International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS, February 2007
HIV/AIDS is both driven by and entrenches gender inequality, leaving women more vulnerable than men to its impact. This report - consisting of an overview, annotated bibliography, and contacts section - considers the specific challenges faced by women and girls who are living with HIV and AIDS. Women's social, economic, and legal disadvantage is exacerbated by a positive HIV status, and vice versa.

For the full report, please click HERE

Action on Gender Based Violence and HIV/AIDS: Bringing Together Research, Policy, Programming and Advocacy
Center for Women's Global Leadership, January 2007
In response to the human rights and public health crises posed by both the HIV pandemic and the unabating levels of gender-based violence (GBV), policy makers, activists and programmers at international, regional and national levels have in recent years bolstered attention to the conceptual and methodological intersections of work in these areas. A small group of organizations and experts working at the intersection of GBV and HIV came together to share lessons learned from working from a variety of entry points, including human rights, gender, feminism, sexuality, and sexual rights, at global, national and local levels, using various methods and within different country contexts. This brief report summarizes discussions, outcomes, and recommendations from the consultation.

For the full report , please click HERE

Gender-Based Violence Correlates with HIV/AIDS Among Women: amfAR (American Foundation For AIDS Research) calls for greater attention to sexual violence at international AIDS conference
amfAR, press release, 18, July 2005
amfAR has released an issue brief demonstrating a close connection between gender-based violence and HIV infection. The New York-based AIDS research foundation is calling for resources to develop, test, and implement behavioral, biomedical, and social interventions to address violence as both a cause and a consequence of HIV infection. amfAR is sponsoring a symposium on sexual violence and HIV/AIDS among women at the 3rd International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment in Rio de Janeiro on July 25, 2005.

For press release, please click HERE

Mainstreaming Gender Into HIV/AIDS Action: Priorities for Interventions Focusing on Women and Girls
GDNet, 2004
In the formulation of Kenya's National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan (KNASP) of 2000-05, it was recognised that the impact of the epidemic on women was strikingly different from that on men: the incidence of HIV/AIDS amongst women was rising more quickly, and women were being infected at an earlier age than men were.
This paper draws on the findings of two national field studies and on a best practice document prepared by UNAIDS in order to analyse the interactions between gender and HIV/ AIDS in Kenya and to suggest strategies for mainstreaming gender in policy decisions and planning.

Speech delivered at the University of Pennsylvania's Summit on Global Issues in Women's Health
Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Philadelphia, USA, 26 April 2005
The overall subject matters you're tackling at this conference strike to the heart of the human condition. All my adult life I have accepted the feminist analysis of male power and authority. But perhaps because of an acute naiveté, I never imagined that the analysis would be overwhelmed by the objective historical realities. Of course the women's movement has had great successes, but the contemporary global struggle to secure women's health seems to me to be a challenge of almost insuperable dimension. And because I believe that, and because I see the evidence month after month, week after week, day after day, in the unremitting carnage of women and AIDS...

Women and AIDS: Have you heard us today?
World Health Organization (WHO), 2004
The World AIDS Campaign for 2004 is on “Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS”. This theme reflects how women are biologically, socially and economically more vulnerable to HIV infection, especially in regions hardest hit by the epidemic. To mark World AIDS Day on 1 December, WHO is focusing on the complex and sensitive issues relating to violence against women, the intersections with HIV/AIDS, and access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment for women. WHO highlights the stories of women who are lliving with HIV/AIDS.

On Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS
59th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Agenda item 12 : integration of human rights of women and a gender perspective, violence against women
Marika Fahlen, Director, Department of Social Mobilization and Information, UNAIDS, Geneva, 10 April 2003

Government Statements and Reports

Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS
United Nations Special Session on HIV/AIDS: Global Crisis-Global Action, New York, 25-27 June 2001

A Time for Frankness on AIDS and Africa
Pascoal Mocumbi, Prime Minister of Mozambique, The New York Times, Op-Ed, 20 June 2001

The Impact of HIV on the Rape Crisis in the African Great Lakes Region
Jennifer M. Hentz, Human Rights Brief, Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, American University Washington College of Law, Volume 12, Issue 2, Winter 2005

Gender Mainstreaming in HIV-AIDS: Taking a Multisectoral Approach
Commonwealth Secretariat and Maritime Centre of Excellence for Women's Health. 2002
In this handbook, By using case studies from developed and developing countries, it becomes clear that holistic programmes which take into account gender, social and economic factors are the most likely to promote risk-averting behaviour. This practical study contains information on online resources and will be generally relevant to policy makers and planners, field staff and lay opinion makers.
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From Tragedy Towards Hope: Men, Women and the AIDS Epidemic
Madhu Bala Nath. 2001
Description : This title describes the impact of HIV/AIDS on people and communities worldwide, and the initiatives being undertaken by UNAIDS and UNIFEM in this area. The author tells the real life stories of women and men with HIV, who live with dignity and hope, and helps readers understand the human consequences of the epidemic for those affected, their families, communities and societies at large. She also delves into the myths and rituals that surround women, sex and sexuality. The book raises pertinent questions for development agencies to consider when preparing policy and budgeting in this field.
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Women Coping with HIV/AIDS: We Take It As It Is
Judith van Woudenberg. 1998
HIV and AIDS are particular risks for women in developing countries due to their low socio-economic status, and their lack of power compared to men, which makes prevention more difficult. The report, based on a 14-month study in Zimbabwe, reaches into the experiences of 35 HIV-positive women, delineating their coping strategies and the support they needed and received. Ideal for policymakers, counselors and researchers involved in the care and support of those affected by HIV/AIDS, it can be used as a reference to determine what is important for women when developing and implementing activities intended to help them. Numerous quotations from the participants in the study reflect the concerns of the thousands of HIV-positive women around the world.
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