The International Women’s Day is obviously a special day to The International Community of Women Living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA). This the day for women and girls living with HIV to celebrate our achievements as ICWEA, and also our individual and group acts of courage and determination aimed at improving the quality of life as well as securing the rights of women living with HIV. This is also a day to reflect on the challenges and think through the issues affecting us that we need to prioritise.
The day’s Global theme Pledge for Parity challenges us but also encourages and calls for increased advocacy for women living with HIV. This is needed to achieve the women and girls’ ambitions, accelerate gender-balanced leadership, respect and value difference created by the HIV epidemic in all aspects of women’s lives,
We also embrace the United Nations 2016 theme, Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality which calls for efforts to be directed towards attaining worldwide gender equality by 2030.
This means that young women and girls receive equal treatment and are not discriminated against based on their gender. It means enjoying the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society, including health, education economic participation and decision-making, and that our aspirations and needs are equally valued and favoured.
The theme also asks governments to make and follow through with national commitments to address the challenges that are holding women and girls back from reaching their full potential. Both themes are in line with the sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. For us women and girls living with HIV, a gender equal planet means;
- Access to comprehensive care and treatment
- Equal sexual and reproductive health and rights
- Favourable policies, laws and legal environments
- Meaningful inclusion in decision making at all levels
These issues are further prioritized in the ICWEA one year campaign; A beat to end sexual reproductive health rights violations, HIV criminalization and widening of contraception choices and options for women living with HIV
As we commemorate this day, we continue to stand with our members in the Republic of Burundi during this period of continued unrest. For women and living with HIV in Burundi, life is more complicated because in addition to the general challenges and problems faced as people living with HIV, they have to worry about their lives and what the next day will bring.
The community of women living with HIV calls upon our governments and policy makers to create an environment that will ensure gender equality, dignity, fairness and provision of quality health care services
Read full statement here: http://www.icwea.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2016/03/International-Womens-Day-Statement-2016.pdf
