Changing the face of HIV by 2031: World YWCA participates in unique meeting to chart new direction in global AIDS response
More than 25 years since the first reports of AIDS were published, a cure is still elusive. Although progress has been made on many fronts—stigma, prevention, treatment—many people living with HIV still face discrimination and for every person that starts life-prolonging antiretroviral therapy three or four more people are newly infected with HIV. This week, the aids2031 initiative and UNAIDS convene a unique symposium aimed at providing a group of young people a platform to debate measures that will ensure meaningful progress in the response to the global pandemic. Sophie Dilmitis, HIV and AIDS Coordinator World YWCA, is among 40 select participants from diverse backgrounds that will question conventional wisdom and explore new ways to influence the course of AIDS. Read full article
Sophie Dilmitis, HIV and AIDS Coordinator World YWCA
Theme for World AIDS Day 2007 & 2008 
The theme for World AIDS Day 2007 and 2008 is “leadership”. This theme will continue to be promoted with the campaigning slogan, “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.”
Why the theme of leadership?
Since the beginning of the epidemic, experience has clearly demonstrated that significant advances in the response to HIV have been achieved when there is strong and committed leadership. Leaders are distinguished by their action, innovation and vision; their personal example and engagement of others; and their perseverance in the face of obstacles and challenges full story...
Resources for World AIDS Day available from the World AIDS Campaign website
48 Fest documentary
In July, at the YWCA's International Women's Conference, MTV's 48 Fest challenged 30 young people from countries all over the world to write, produce and edit a 3 minute film with strong HIV awareness messaging, in just 48 hours. To watch the films link to MTV's Staying Alive website, or check out the fantastic 48 Fest documentary, shot on location in Nairobi Kenya.
AIDS 2008 Conference, August 2008
The world's attention is shifting to Mexico City where the next International AIDS Conference is scheduled to take place from August 3-8, 2008. Mexico city will be the first Latin American country to host a conference of this size; over 26,000 people attended the AIDS 2006 conference in Toronto.
Full and partial scholarships are offered as financial assistance to delegates from developing countries, community groups, marginalised communities, people living with HIV and AIDS, youth and students. Full scholarships include registration to the conference, economy-class airfare, shared accommodation in a budget hotel and a modest daily allowance; partial scholarships include any combination of the above. Read more
Documentary seeking solutions to AIDS premieres in London
‘Women are 2… Finding Solutions’, a new documentary on women and AIDS, was officially launched at a reception at the YWCA Central Club in London on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2006. The 52-minute documentary produced by World YWCA and Mondofragilis brings together women leaders from various backgrounds and walks of life to share their solutions to the AIDS pandemic. The reception is being hosted by the YWCA, ICW and WAGGGS to promote the film and SOFIA, a new UK-based women's forum advocating for HIV and AIDS policies that empower women. Read more
Watch film ‘Women are 2… Finding Solutions’ through video stream
HIV&AIDS Pandemic Becoming Feminised
AIDS is the largest global emergency to face women and girls in our lifetime. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the region most devastated by HIV&AIDS, three out of four people under the age of 25 years living with HIV are young women, and 59% of infected adults are women. Globally, women make up almost half of the 39.5 million people living with HIV – this figure is rising.
With the rise of cases of HIV&AIDS in the Pacific the YWCA of Aotearoa NZ feels there is no room for complacency and that we must acknowledge the devastating effects this epidemic is having on the communities of the Pacific.
On World AIDS Day 2006 our focus was on HIV&AIDS in the Pacific region and in particular the feminisation of HIV&AIDS. The YWCA and a handful of other organisations organised a World AIDS Day movie screening of the film Yesterday at the City Gallery in Wellington. The evening highlighted the true personal costs of this epidemic with guest speaker Marama Pala from speaking about her experiences of living in New Zealand with HIV.
On November 11th 2006 our Christchurch YWCA,in partnership with the Pacific Island community, held their "BREAK THE SILENCE - SIGNS OF HOPE" Pacific HIV&AIDS fono. It was a great success and achieved its goal of opening up the dialogue on the issue of HIV&AIDS within the Pacific community. Click here to read the report on the fono.
Link to the World YWCA website to read about the HIV&AIDS programmes the YWCA offers internationally or to find out about the International Women's Summit on HIV&AIDS held in Nairobi, Kenya in July 2007.
