Women Turning the Tide

IAC, July 2012

Dr Jantine Jacobi, Chief Gender Equality and Diversity

jacobij@unaids.org

Women, girls and HIV

Women and girls account for half of all

people living

with HIV

HIV is the leading cause of death in women

of reproductive age

South Africa: 1 in 7 new

HIV infections

due tophysical or sexual

abuse

26% of all new

infections occur

among girls and

young women (15-24)

Reported forced

first sex for girls below 15 between 11% and

48%

New infections in young women are twice as high as males

New HIV infections in people age 15-24 in Sub-Saharan Africa

0100,000200,000300,000400,000500,000600,000700,000800,000

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010Male Female

Gender inequalities have many facets:

Social and Economic Inequality

Gender based violence

Harmful gender norms

Social Exclusion

• Increasing their vulnerability to HIV

• Without resources to counteract: dedicated funds in only 41% of national AIDS

responses

UNAIDS Vision:

2011-2015 UNAIDS Strategy:

Getting to zeroThe three core strategic pillars:

Revolutionize HIV

Prevention

Catalyze the next phase of

treatment, care and support

Advance human rights and gender equality for

the HIVresponse

The UNAIDS Agenda

for Women and Girls

• Menu of strategic actions

• Support countries to move towards gender-transformative HIV responses, engaging partners, in particular women and girls living with HIV

• Operationalization in about 95 countries by the end of 2011

• Mid Term Review

Investing in gender

transformative HIV responses

Opportunity to overcome

challenges that hinder progress on 4 Millennium

Development Goals

Multiplier effect for

Health and Development

MDG 3Gender Equality

MDG 4Child

Mortality

MDG 6HIV and

other diseases

MDG 5Maternal

Health

• UNAIDS calls for social transformation for women and girls, in particular those living with HIV.

• CSW, CPD, Rio+20 show that sexual and reproductive rights are key.

• Investment in leadership of (young) women living with HIV is critical.

• We need to better leverage synergies (HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and vioelnce against women and girls).

UNAIDS Actions

Together we can create a better world for women and girls

Thank you

Launch of the Pan-African

Women with HIV Coalition Cairo+20

Security Council Resolution 1983

MENA ROSAStanding Up,

Speaking Out: Women

and HIV in the Middle

East and North AfricaSomebody Cares

Malawi