If I kept it to myself - World YWCA

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If I kept it to myself God had prepared a loving church that supported my family and me from the moment they knew about my HIV status. My dear brothers and sisters pray for me every week, asking God that I finally be healed. They support me during my trips to workshops and lectures by praying and sustaining my family with words of hope. This church that I love is a gift from God. In September 2002, I was invited to a conference on HIV and AIDS in Chiang Mai, Thailand. There I met Leah Mutala, an African woman working as a volunteer taking care of children orphaned by AIDS. She taught me that God takes care of the widowed and orphaned. Together with our male counterparts, we began the Bolivian network of PLWHA (REDBOL) in 2002. I am also a member of the International Community of Women living with HIV and AIDS (ICW) Bolivia. Since I completed my Bachelor’s degree, I have been writing publications and giving lectures on gender issues and the plight of PLWHA. I also advocate and facilitate workshops on HIV and AIDS as a consultant and researcher. The terrible injustices affecting PLWHA in my country, especially against women, encouraged me to get involved. The most important fight I have committed to is universal access to Antiretroviral treatment (ARV). Medication is not readily available in Bolivia. The other fight I started was for gender equality in HIV and AIDS leadership, particularly calling for the support and involvement of women living with HIV and AIDS in decisions that affect their lives. Through REDBOL, we brought a case to court against the Bolivian State in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights asking for ARVs for 52 10 PLWHA who signed a petition. At the time, the Ministry of Health decided who would be involved with the distribution of ARVs. They did not have any PLWHA on their committee, which led to secrecy and bias in the selection of candidates. They now have four PLWHA on their committee of 30. Since then many more PLWHA have joined the campaign for access to ARVs. I was invited to give a speech at the closing ceremony of the 2004 International AIDS Conference in Bangkok. There, I had the opportunity to challenge my fellow delegates; I said we would not relax until there is universal access to ARVs. I talked about the reality in my country and the gender inequality that is fuelling the HIV pandemic. I stressed that we should address gender inequality and ensure the universal access to education for girls. In Latin America, the majority of PLWHA are men who have sex with men. At the beginning of my campaign it was very difficult to break the barriers put up by men in power and to demand a space for women. Some leaders were determined to put up obstacles to our attempts to include HIV positive women in decision and policy making. With the help of important networks like ICW, we finally managed to get women involved at all levels. Today there are visible changes regarding PLWHA. There are more women involved in leadership and this makes a difference since women know best the needs of other women. This fight is for the inclusion of HIV positive women, not only in the community but also in government. Finding people who specialise in women and AIDS and in issues affecting HIV positive women is our most difficult goal.
Young women intervene in a world with AIDS In 2004, I got financial support from HIVOS to prepare the first meeting of ICW in Bolivia. It was a historic moment because women found strength when they came together. Up to that time, HIV positive women were separated and afraid, and it was difficult for women to access financial resources. At that meeting I shared my vision for HIV positive women’s leadership and encouraged others to do the same. I am not the only HIV positive woman in this fight; many others around the world are fighting for the same objectives. In 2005, with friends from ICW, I got support from UNAIDS for a training project for HIV positive women in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. In counselling groups, we show the important role of the family in helping PLWHA to react to an HIV positive diagnosis. After receiving a HIV positive diagnosis, I looked for God again. He gave me freedom from blame and shame. I found peace, forgiveness, hope and eternal life. The Lord had a mission for my life, despite my mistakes. I asked for forgiveness and I gave God what I still had of my broken life. Together with other colleagues, we set up a selfhelp group for PLWHA. We work as volunteers on prevention, advocacy, assistance for those who are ill, and information for families, community based organisations and the government. The Pan American Health Organisation has referred to us as a “successful experience on HIV and AIDS”. I am now a public speaker on HIV and AIDS and, as a leader of REDBOL, I appear on television very often calling for the need for all women and girls to have access to the information and the means necessary to protect them from HIV and AIDS. ICW has delegated me to work with the World Council of Churches (WCC) to promote the greater involvement of PLWHA (GIPA) in religious leadership and activities. I have also been chosen by the Latin-American Network of PLWHA (REDLA) to represent civil society at meetings. I was invited to participate in the Global Coalition of Women and AIDS (GCWA), a UNAIDS initiative of which I am a founding member. I am in the process of mentoring another young woman to take over the leadership of ICW Bolivia. It is very difficult because in my country the needs are tremendous and women have to maintain a paying job while doing advocacy. I believe that we should continue to advocate for ARVs and an end to discrimination and gender inequality. Born: 1977 Country: Bolivia Organisations: REDBOL (Bolivian network of PLWHA); International Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS (ICW) Campaigns for: Universal access to ARV and gender equality 11
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If I kept it to myself - World YWCA

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