UNWomen The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

Female leaders from the Middle East and North Africa, meeting in Algiers, Algeria, on 10 and 11 November, called for advancing gender equality, the HIV response and universal access to HIV treatment and prevention in the region.

Organized by UNAIDS in collaboration with the Government of Algeria, the League of Arab States and UN Women, the high-level meeting was a first in a series aiming for all sectors of society to take action towards the implementation of the Arab AIDS Strategy. The strategy addresses HIV as a public health and social issue and builds a foundation for halting and eventually ending the AIDS epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa by 2030.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé joined the leaders in their deliberations and emphasized that the implementation of the Arab AIDS Strategy could pave the way for the region to end the AIDS epidemic. To do so, countries should ensure their societies are more inclusive, reach people who are being left behind in the AIDS response, mobilize civil society and seize the momentum initiated by female leaders to bring about change.

Algeria has shown a strong political commitment to gender equality, with women holding 21% of ministerial positions and 31% of seats in parliament. The country’s HIV response is also an example to follow in the region. Algeria’s policy is to provide universal access to HIV prevention and treatment services, including free antiretroviral medicines to those in need, with up to 97% of funding coming from domestic sources. Algeria has also succeeded in building a strong partnership with its dynamic civil society.

Speaking to Mr Sidibé during his visit, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ramtane Lamamra commended UNAIDS for its efforts in reinforcing global partnership. Abdelmalek Boudiaf, the Minister of Health, reaffirmed his commitment towards the creation of the Research Centre of Excellence on Health and AIDS in Algeria.

Mr Sidibé also participated in an event to belatedly mark United Nations Day, held each year on 24 October. The event demonstrated the strength and unity of the United Nations system in Algeria, which is working together to advance the AIDS response in the country.

Studies have shown that intimate partner violence can increase the risk of HIV infection by around 50% and that one in three women experience violence by their intimate partner during their lifetime. There is also evidence that violence, or the fear of violence undermines access to treatment, care and support services for women living with HIV.

In efforts to address the complex linkages between violence and HIV, in a statement, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the world to do more, “We must take action to end violence against women and girls and ensure that they have the sexual and reproductive health and rights that they deserve. Violence has a drastic impact on the health of women and children and is inextricably linked to a higher prevalence of HIV. That is why I have made ending violence against women and girls a top priority for the United Nations.”

The Secretary-General’s call was amplified at the high-level panel Linking HIV, gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights as part of the Every Women Every Child initiative, and the post-2015 social justice agenda organized by UNAIDS during the 58th Commission on the Status of Women held in New York. “Not only is violence against women an extreme human rights violation, it also makes women more vulnerable to HIV infection,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Post-2015 is the opportunity to ensure all women and girls reach their full potential, without the threat of violence, risk of HIV infection and violation of their sexual and reproductive rights.”

The event, chaired jointly by Mr Sidibé and the Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, encouraged dialogue around the critical need for women-centred efforts to end the AIDS epidemic; the advancement of sexual and reproductive health and rights for women; gender equality and women’s empowerment; and zero tolerance for gender-based violence. “The single most important strategy in dealing with HIV is empowering women and protecting their rights,” said Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka.

Panellists included HRH the Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Ministers of Gender Equality from Ghana, Malawi, Brazil and a representative for young women living with and affected by HIV from Algeria. "In my region, discrimination is a societal phenomenon. We must continue to act to eliminate discrimination—it’s the key to the end of the AIDS epidemic,” said Fatima Bendida, El Hayet Network of People Living with HIV, Algeria.

The panellists also elaborated on the importance of addressing stigma and discrimination. They stressed the need to end violence against women for their own health, as well as to prevent new HIV infections. They also emphasized the particular focus needed on young women and girls to ensure they have access to comprehensive sexuality education that all women living with HIV have access to treatment, care and support, within a rights-based and social justice framework.

“It is essential that we achieve universal access to integrated sexual and reproductive health information, education and services, fully addressing HIV, based on gender equality and with zero-tolerance for gender-based violence,” said HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Patron of UNFPA and Member of the High Level Task Force for the International Conference on Population and Development

The panellists also highlighted poverty as a driver of HIV and sexual and reproductive ill-health and recognised equity in access to services as a key focus for development for women. They also emphasized the continued need to secure funding for the most marginalized in societies.

Ms Nancy Mahon, Executive Director of the M·A·C AIDS Fund moderated the event at which Mr Sidibé launched a UNAIDS Advocacy Brief: Unite with women unite against violence and HIV. The brief outlines five core reasons to prevent violence against women; violence against women is a human rights violation; women who experience violence are more likely to acquire HIV; women living with HIV are more likely to be subjected to violence; women most vulnerable to HIV are also most vulnerable to violence; and that violence undermines the HIV response by creating a barrier to accessing services.

The discussions at the panel event were an important milestone in the ongoing post-2015 debate, underlining the central role women living with HIV need to play in the discussions around the post-2015 debate.

GENEVA, 11 July 2013—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomes the appointment of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as the new Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).   

Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka was the first woman to hold the position of Deputy President of South Africa. She also played a central role in the government’s HIV programme, serving as chair of the South African National AIDS Council where she took the lead in ensuring broader and more cohesive collaboration with international and civil society partners.

“Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka is a respected leader and brings with her a wealth of experience in promoting the human rights of women and girls,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “She will be an important partner in the AIDS response as women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. We look forward to working closely with her to improve the lives of women and girls everywhere.”

Gender equality and respect for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, especially for women living with HIV, are essential for an effective response to HIV. Persistent gender inequalities and women’s rights violations are continuing to make women and girls more vulnerable to HIV and prevent them from accessing HIV services. In 2011 there were nearly 17 million women living with HIV and HIV continues to be the leading cause of death in women of reproductive age.

UN Women was established in 2011 to provide a dynamic and powerful voice at national, regional and global levels for women’s rights and equality. It ensures that new opportunities for women and girls are central to UN programmes and that the UN system continues to protect the rights of women and girls around the world.

UN Women also highlights the contributions and priorities of women living with or affected by HIV and has contributed to integrating gender aspects into the plans and policies developed by national AIDS councils in more than 35 countries and regional programmes. UN Women is the newest of UNAIDS 11 Cosponsoring organisations, having joined in June 2012.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners to maximize results for the AIDS response. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Newest UN organization joins UNAIDS’ efforts to ensure greater access to HIV services for women and girls

GENEVA, 5 June 2012—The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) is the eleventh United Nations body to join the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) as a cosponsoring partner.

The official joining of UN Women as a UNAIDS Cosponsor, which was approved at UNAIDS’ board meeting today, will further strengthen the UNAIDS family’s work on gender equality and HIV and enhance collaboration with governments, international partners, women’s organizations and the women’s rights movement.

“UN Women is proud to join UNAIDS. We believe that the single most important strategy in dealing with HIV is empowering women and guaranteeing their rights—so that they can protect themselves from infection, overcome stigma, and gain greater access to treatment and care,” said Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women. “We look forward to expanding our efforts in partnership with the UNAIDS family to address this epidemic.”

Gender equality and respect for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, especially for women living with HIV, are essential for an effective response to HIV. Persistent gender inequalities and women’s rights violations are continuing to render women and girls more vulnerable to HIV and prevent them from accessing HIV services. In 2010 there were around 17 million women living with HIV and HIV continues to be the leading cause of death in women of reproductive age.

“I believe we need to and can do much better for women and girls. There are still too few sustainable solutions available for women to protect themselves from HIV, violence and poverty,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Partnering with UN Women will strengthen our efforts to promote gender equality and bolster women’s empowerment globally through the HIV response.”

UNAIDS will collaborate closely with UN Women in a number of areas including: addressing the intersections between HIV and violence against women; integrating gender equality into national HIV planning; and using strategies that promote the leadership and participation of women living with HIV, and women affected by HIV, in decision-making. UNAIDS and UN Women will also work on strengthening national institutions to enable them to deliver on commitments made on gender equality and women’s rights in the context of HIV.

“As a young woman living with HIV, I am heartened to see that UNAIDS and UN Women are joining forces against AIDS. I have experienced first-hand how enabling environments and rights-based services can empower women living with HIV to take control over our bodies and our lives,” said Helena Nangombe Kandali from Namibia. “UN Women becoming a cosponsor of UNAIDS is a positive step forward in supporting women the world over, particularly women living with HIV.”

UN Women, established by the UN General Assembly in 2010 brings together four distinct parts of the UN system which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment, namely: the Division for the Advancement of Women; the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women; the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women; and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).