What Works for Women and Girls

EVIDENCEPromising Strategies:1. Investment in women’s groups, especially positive women’s networks, can result in policyengagement and change to better meet women’s health and human rights needs.There is an emerging collective empowerment based on knowledge and understandingof rights. Examples include the alliance of the Zimbabwean Network of PositiveWomen allied with women lawyers to introduce marital rape as a criminal offense inZimbabwe law and the Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa, where an allianceof women and lawyers resulted in a ruling that pregnant women have the right to ARVsin pregnancy to reduce the risk of MTCT (Manchester, 2004). This study was basedon oral sources, workshops and presentations, and memories of conversations withHIV-positive African women since 1992, as well as qualitative research through interviewsconducted in 2000, with 10 HIV-positive African men and women (Manchester,2004). (Gray V) (women’s empowerment, Zimbabwe, South Africa)A project that provided training and networking by HIV-positive women withParliamentarians from their own country—Botswana, Kenya, Namibia and Tanzaniaalongwith NGOs, provided opportunities for HIV-positive women to comment onupcoming legislation that impacted them (Parliamentarians for Women’s Health,2007). (Gray V) (training programs, women’s empowerment, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia,Tanzania)2. Formation of a women’s forum within PLHA networks may empower women living withHIV.In India, the Women’s Forum, established in 2007, has provided training on legalliteracy and advocated for shelter and livelihood support for widows living with HIV.In July 2007, a National Women’s Forum led by a seven member committee was establishedin India to mainstream gender issues within the Indian Network of People Livingwith HIV (INP+), which is a national network in 22 states with membership of over105,000. The male: female ratio of PLHA is 100:60. Though 48% of members withinINP+ are women, gender issues are not adequately represented within INP+ governanceor nationally. Women living with HIV suffer from low levels of awareness onlegal rights, limited social protection and restricted access to treatment, as well as lackof decision-making, violence and stigma (Goswami et al., 2008). (Gray V) (women’sempowerment, legal rights, treatment, violence, stigma, India).3. Training on human rights for people living with HIV can increase protection of their rights.The AIDS Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA) trained 684 participants representingAIDS service organizations, women’s groups and others on human rights andWHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS339