What Works for Women and Girls

Women Need Support and Opportunities to Build SkillsHowever, programs also need to recognize that it is difficult for women living with HIV orAIDS to participate unless their basic needs are met. Positive women need to earn an incomeand, consequently, have little time or energy available to volunteer with PLHA organizations.Many are widows with children to support. Of the 764 HIV-positive people interviewed in theAsia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+) documentation of AIDS-relateddiscrimination, 50 percent of the women but only 8 percent of the men were widowed (Paxtonet al., 2004b).In addition to support and strengthening social capital, women need opportunities to buildskills for advocacy, networking, and participation in policy and program design and implementation.Important interventions include establishing mechanisms for meaningful participationof women in policymaking at international, national, community, and organizational levels;building women’s policy advocacy and analysis skills; and ensuring that women are awareof their rights. Positive women also need separate networks to ensure that they have a voice.“Experience to date shows that the active involvement of positive women at all levels of decision-making,including the making and shaping of policy, is essential to treatment preparednessand expanded access as well as ensuring respect for positive women’s sexual and reproductivehealth and rights. Yet, HIV-positive women and decision-making bodies continue tolack practical skills and political commitment to promoting meaningful involvement of positivewomen in shaping policies and programs” (Mthembu et al., 2006).[See also Chapter 4. Prevention for Key Affected Populations for leadership initiatives among sexworkers and other marginalized groups.]What Works—Strengthening the Enabling Environment: Promoting Women’s LeadershipPromising Strategies:1. Investment in women’s groups, especially positive women’s networks, can result inpolicy engagement and change to better meet women’s health and human rightsneeds.2. Formation of a separate women’s network within PLHA networks may empowerwomen living with HIV.3. Training on human rights for people living with HIV can increase protection of theirrights.338 CHAPTER 11 STRENGTHENING THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT