March 8th 2022 – Kampala, Uganda
The International Community of Women Living with HIV Eastern Africa joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International Women’s Day 2022 under the theme;
“Gender Equality today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.” #Break the Bias.ICWEA is motivated by the theme and this year we choose to celebrate women and girls living with HIVwho have made tremendous milestones in challenging the status quo in their lives, journeys as well as touching the lives of other women in all their diversity around the region by “Recognizing your Contributions: Inspiring Young Women Leaders.”
Gender inequalities arising out of discriminatory social norms and unequal power relations are at the heart of fueling the drivers and consequences of the HIV pandemic, resulting in the unequal burden of the pandemic on girls and women; discriminatory customary and statutory land laws, limited education and economic opportunities for women and girls affect their power relative to men and boys in relationships, at household, community and social level. Women and girls are therefore less likely to have the power to make decisions over their bodies in these unequal relationships including inability to negotiate safe sex or to afford sexual and reproductive health services.
Findings from ICWEA engagements under Community Led Monitoring (CLM) and the TASO NFM III indicate that Adolescent girls and young women living HIV in their diversity face stigma-self stigma and discrimination while accessing services at the health facilities, communities and work. Violation of women and Adolescent Girl and Young Women (AGYW) rights continue to emerge; denial of access to family planning services, access to ART services, ownership of property and sexual gender-based violence.
There is an unenabling environment for women and girls living with HIV in accessing health services which remains a challenge in a bid to increase demand for health services; prevention, treatment, support and retention to care.
As we commemorate International Women’s Day Globally, International Community of Women Living with HIV this year launches a 2-year Campaign: The FIERCE (Fighter, Intelligent, Empowered, Resilient, Courageous, Excelling) Campaign under the theme: “Recognizing your Contributions: Inspiring Young Women Leaders.” with the goal of enhancing the contribution of women and girl’s networks in the HIV response in the East Africa region.
ICWEA would like to remember and celebrate the lives of women living with HIV at all levels who have made a positive change by being influencers or those that have given and are still giving leadership to “Movement Building a process of organizing or helping to activate the will of people to work individually or as collectively towards a vision they all share.”
The Objective of the Campaign is to:
- To recognize the leadership and contribution of women living with HIV in the AIDS response; ending all forms of stigma and discrimination; ending violence against women; human rights protection and movement building;
- To inspire and motivate young women leaders to take up the leadership roles in the women movement building and HIV response in order to end AIDS by 2030;
- To enhance women living with HIV in movement building and transformational leadership
ICWEA joins the Development Partners, Ministries and line departments, local governments and the global world to commemorate the International Women’s Day 2022 aimed at having a World free of bias, discrimination, a World that is diverse, equitable and Inclusive. As ICWEA, we call upon stakeholders to Accelerate and Roll out the Dapivirine Ring as a Prevention mechanism for the AGYW as well create awareness on the available HIV prevention measures such as Dapivirine ring and Injectable, PrEP Decriminalize of HIV in HIV Act Uganda, roll out of the National Stigma and Discrimination guidelines to the communities so that communities are empowered to know their rights.
ICWEA urges Adolescent Girls and Women living with HIV to the join movement building that challenges all odds against Women living with HIV, status quo that hinder access to better services and violate human rights of Adolescents Girls and Women Living with HIV.
# Break the Bias “Gender Equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.”
