UNAIDS - March 2, 2009

Addressing the opening of the 53rd session, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe called for bold, collective action to achieve universal access and to achieve gender equality.

"Gender equality must become part of our DNA -- at the core of all of our actions. Together with governments and civil society, we must energize the global response to AIDS, while vigorously advancing gender equality," said Mr Sidibe. "These causes are undeniably linked."

Mr Sidibe highlighted three priority actions needed to make this a reality: integrated delivery of antenatal, sexual and reproductive health and HIV services; respect and protection of human rights; and new models of development in which women and men have greater control over their lives.

Caregiving and HIV

The majority of people experiencing ill health due to HIV live in low and middle-income countries and are being cared for at home, since health services may be beyond the reach of large proportions of the population. Home and community-based care takes many forms, but typically it is provided by relatives, friends, or community volunteers.

The burden of this care-giving lies disproportionably on women because of gender norms--the widely held beliefs, expectations, customs and practices within a society define 'masculine' and 'feminine' behaviours and roles and responsibilities.

Promoting a more equitable sharing of responsibilities between women and men is a practical necessity but alone is not enough to address the current inequalities, said Mr Sidibe.

"Women and girls need legislative and judiciary initiatives, policies and community-driven programmes. These are essential to ensure access to economic resources, social protection and safety nets, and access to education, skills training and employment."

Fifty-third session

Over the coming days, participants, including representatives of Member States, UN entities and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations from all regions of the world will explore the theme through a series of interactive sessions.

There will be a roundtable for high-level participants including ministers, deputy-ministers and principal secretaries to focus on experiences and lessons learned.

Technical experts will hold a panel to identify policy initiatives to accelerate the implementation of previous commitments and along with statisticians will hold another panel on capacity-building for gender mainstreaming in relation to care-giving in the context of HIV. This will provide an opportunity for an exchange of national and regional experiences and good practices.

Commission on the Status of Women

The Commission on the Status of Women is a commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. It is the principal global policy-making body. Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide. This year it runs until 13 March.

Resources:

Gender - http://www.unaids.org/en/PolicyAndPractice/Gender/default.asp

Women and girls - http://www.unaids.org/en/PolicyAndPractice/KeyPopulations/WomenGirls/default.asp

Partners:

Global Coalition on Women and AIDS - http://womenandaids.unaids.org/

External links:

Commission on the Status of Women 53rd Session - http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/53sess.htm

Official documentation - http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/csw53/OfficialDocuments.html

UN-CSO side event: Town Hall Meeting: Action Agenda on Caregiving in the Context of HIV/AIDS (4 March 2009) (pdf, 265 Kb) - http://data.unaids.org/pub/Agenda/2009/20090302_hiv_aids_csw_conference_flyer_en.pdf

Parallel Events of Permanent Missions and UN entities - http://esango.un.org/event/csw_mission.html?page=calendarWeek&month=3&year=2009&week=1

Speech:

Read speech by UNAIDS Executive Director (pdf, 83 Kb) - http://data.unaids.org/pub/SpeechEXD/2009/20090302_sp_ms_csw_en.pdf

Multimedia:

Watch webcast of the opening of CSW - http://www.un.org/webcast/
090302
UN090217

Copyright © 2009 - Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). All rights reserved. UNAIDS articles, which are not formal publications of UNAIDS, may be freely reviewed, quoted, reproduced or translated, in part or in full, provided the source is acknowledged. The documents may not be sold or used in conjunction with commercial purposes without prior written approval from UNAIDS (contact: UNAIDS Information Centre).

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2009. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2009. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .