At the
XVII International AIDS Conference (IAC), the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) led or co-sponsored more than 10 conference and pre-conference events, including workshops, oral and poster presentations, satellite sessions and Mexico YouthForce pre-conference sessions.
Hundreds of women and men from countries around the world participated in CHANGE's presentations, workshops, and discussions about the information, tools and resources needed to empower women to protect themselves from HIV and AIDS, sexually-transmitted infections, and unwanted pregnancy.
CHANGE also hosted
Prevention Now! campaign space in the Global Village's Women's Networking Zone. Global Village attendees signed the
Prevention Now! petition to expand global access to female condoms and other prevention options, learned about the benefits of female condoms, and participated in female condom demonstrations. CHANGE distributed thousands of buttons, postcards, fact sheets, and female condoms - which were in-demand items at the conference.
Skip to highlights of some of CHANGE's sessions at the conference.
CHANGE's work at the International AIDS Conference led to coverage from a wide range of news organizations from around the world.
Skip to CHANGE staff blog posts for AIDS2008.com blog.
Skip to CHANGE at IAC 2008 in the news.
For a full schedule and detailed descriptions of events involving or led by CHANGE, please click here:
AIDS 2008 CHANGE Schedule
YOUTHFORCE Pre-Conference 2008 CHANGE Schedule
- Satellite Session: Raising Women's Voices from the Margins: A Progressive Platform for the U.S. Global AIDS Response in PEPFAR II (skip to this session)
- Oral Presentation: Global Health Initiatives: the impact of vertical funding on health systems and community priorities (skip to this session)
- Poster Presentation: Envisioning a New PEPFAR: Effective HIV Prevention for Women and Girls (skip to this session)
- Skills-Building Workshop: Expanding Access to Female Condoms through Strategic Partnerships and Informed Advocacy (skip to this session)
- Hot Topics Networking Zone Session: The New PEPFAR and its Implications (skip to this session)
Satellite Session: Raising Women's Voices from the Margins: A Progressive Platform for the U.S. Global AIDS Response in PEPFAR II
Co-sponsors: CHANGE and International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF)
Speakers:
Mary Robinson, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative and former President of Ireland (co-chair and moderator)
Serra Sippel, Center for Health and Gender Equity (co-chair)
Gill Greer, IPPF
Gabriela Leite, Brazilian Network of Sex Professionals (Brazil)
Axela Romero, SIPAM (Mexico)
Grace Sedio, Momme Isago and ICW (Botswana)
Christos Tsentas, Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee (U.S.)
This satellite session highlighted the diverse experiences and perspectives of women to draw attention to what the next phase of PEPFAR/U.S. global AIDS policy should look like when it comes to women and prevention. The speakers represented those most marginalized and vulnerable to HIV infection-including women engaged in sex work, women living with HIV, and married women. The session created space for all participants to discuss the hard issues around human rights and HIV prevention within the context of women as a heterogeneous population with varying life circumstances. CHANGE will use the conversation from this session to develop a concrete platform of recommendations for the next phase of PEPFAR.
The Caucus for Evidence-Based Prevention featured a piece on the session in its newsletter:
http://www.hiv-prevention.org/docs/newsletters/Caucus_IAC2008_WedAug6newsletter11.pdf
Oral Presentation: Global Health Initiatives: the impact of vertical funding on health systems and community priorities
Presenter:
Serra Sippel, Center for Health and Gender Equity
This presentation assessed the impact of U.S. policy and vertical funding streams from both USAID and PEPFAR on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care in the Dominican Republic. Findings were drawn from interviews with government health officials, USAID staff, NGO leaders and individuals. The presentation emphasized the effect of U.S. policy restrictions on people living with HIV/AIDS, adolescents, women in prisons, and immigrants.
Download the presentation.
Poster Presentation: Envisioning a New PEPFAR: Effective HIV Prevention for Women and Girls
Presenter:
Jamila Taylor, Center for Health and Gender Equity
Based on an analysis of PEPFAR gender-related policies and programs from 2003 to 2008, this presentation showed how PEPFAR's policies, strategies, and funding directives have undermined prevention program efforts to address gender inequalities globally. Special attention was given to the implementation of PEPFAR restrictions as they pertain to women's and girls' access to HIV prevention and related services. The presentation also assessed PEPFAR's ability to integrate family planning and gender-based violence services into HIV prevention programs.
Download the poster.
Skills-Building Workshop: Expanding Access to Female Condoms through Strategic Partnerships and Informed Advocacy
Facilitators:
Serra Sippel, Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)
Sophie Diltmis, World YWCA
Bidia Deperthes, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Special female condom demonstration by: Maya Gokul, Female Health Company
Co-Sponsors: CHANGE, UNFPA, and World YWCA
In this skills-building workshop, speakers explained the importance of female condoms-the only currently existing HIV prevention method designed for women's initiation-in the global response to HIV/AIDS. The session opened with a dynamic female condom demonstration and lively discussion from the audience around product attributes. The session segued into a discussion of the importance of informed advocacy, with presenters underscoring successful female condom advocacy efforts on the ground and challenges in making the product accessible. Participants gained insight into the value of strategic partnerships, coupled with informed advocacy, as a critical way to expand access to female condoms.
Hot Topics Networking Zone Session: The New PEPFAR and its Implications
Speakers:
Serra Sippel, Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)
Kelly Castagnaro, International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC)
Suskma Ratri, CARAM Asia (Malaysia)
This session was an informal conversation, hosted by the "Strategies from the South" project, with conference participants about the process and political negotiations and implications of the reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). PEPFAR was reauthorized in July 2008.
