It was an opening of AIDS 2010 conference. What was outstanding for me was the message of support given by UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon, speeches delivered by young women representing youth and woman living with HIV, and researcher who was presenting on HIV cure.
The theme of Ban Ki-moon’s message in addition of welcoming us to Vienna was “No Retreat, Fund AIDS”. The young women emphasized the importance of funding health services that are youth friendly and let youth be in an enabling space. The youth slogan for the conference is ‘NOW MAKE IT HAPPEN’. Lastly, The women representing women living with HIV spoke firmly on the recognition of women rights as human rights and that its time that positive women sexual reproductive health rights to be taken into cognitive aspect. Lastly the researcher presented on possibilities of having HIV cure but also highlighted challenges of the study like funding, to choose to be on trial vs being on HAART.
19 July 2010
I attended a workshop on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for young women. It was about giving young women a right to their bodies. I will highlight the rights which women were firm on:
a) The right to enjoy safe sexual pleasure
b) Right to access appropriate HIV-prevention services
c) Right to safe space of sharing her challenges without fear of stigma and discrimination
d) Right to information
e) Right to reproduction seen as human rights for women living with HIV.
I was also part of a WHO meeting where women spoke out about unsatisfication on the new HIV guidelines as it excludes services essential for women. The consensus was to:
i) Write a letter to the director of WHO and UNAIDS registering our concern about processes followed in development of guidelines and representation in the process
ii) Submit a joint document of inputs on the HIV guidelines draft.
The last session I attended was TAC’s satellite meeting, which aimed in shaping campaigns that activists must focus on the next 10 years on the context of HIV changes in terms of partnerships, linking MDGs to HIV as a way of reaching universal access in 2015 and funding. The meeting decided that global campaigners meeting on campaigning must be organized to take father the issue of campaigning in the next 10 years.
20 July 2010
The sessions I attended were reflecting on obstacles to effective HIV responses. They are on different aspects like criminalization of key population groups with stigma and discrimination in most African countries which can be remedied by enacting enabling laws, and linking the SRHR with HIV prevention. Then I engaged in preparing for and attending the march for human rights.
