Consultation Process

The document was developed through a three stage consultation process. A workshop was held in Geneva in February 2007 with members of the HIV Advisory Group of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, and staff of UNAIDS and the World YWCA to discuss the development of the call to action and elicit ideas for issues to be addressed.

At the same time, the main international email networks of HIV positive women were invited to send ideas for key messages to be included in the documents.

A questionnaire survey was then distributed to 25 individuals from around the world, including representatives of community service organisations, faith based organisations, United Nations and HIV positive women’s networks.

These representatives from various stakeholder groups provided rich and thoughtful responses to four questions:

1. What four key messages do you think should be in this document?
2. How would you use this document after Nairobi?
3. What are the main barriers facing you in your work on women and HIV and AIDS, both internal and external to your organisation?
4. What are the main solutions to these barriers which you have found or think are possible, both internally and externally?

The results of these responses are currently being compiled for public release and will appear shortly on the World YWCA website.

Writers’ Group

A writers’ group was then convened, which consisted of Caroline Lambert (YWCA Australia), Afia Nathaniel (World YWCA Executive Committee and YWCA Pakistan), Mary Wandia (ActionAid International Kenya), and Alice Welbourn (ICW member, UK), with Sophie Dilmitis, (World YWCA staff member and ICW member) as the key link with the World YWCA office.

Advisory Group

A small number of individuals were invited to join an advisory group to act as a sounding board for the writers’ group. Due to time constraints, the group had a brief opportunity to comment on the final drafts of the documents. Nonetheless, the views of this group were most helpful and the final document is the richer for this input.

Writing Process

The writing process went through several stages as our objectives and desired outcomes became clearer through various drafts and discussions. In the end it was decided to produce three separate but related documents: the Pledge of Action, a one-page statement which each of us has been called upon to sign; a Call to Action document, which highlights 10 key areas for action; and a third document, which presents these 10 key areas in detail with suggestions for implementation.

The 10 key areas of the call to action are focused on:

1. Solidarity with HIV positive women and girls
2. Meaningful involvement of HIV positive women and girls
3. Promoting gender equality and the human rights of women and girls
4. Ensuring the physical, sexual and psychological safety of women and girls
5. Promoting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls
6. Ensuring education, economic security and access to resources for women and girls
7. Expanding access to voluntary safe testing, treatment, care and support for women and girls and reduction of the burden of testing on women
8. Promoting the human rights of young women and children
9. Capacity building of women to lead change on HIV and AIDS
10. Leadership of women in all spheres of life

What next?

The documents will soon be available from the World YWCA in English, French and Spanish and offers to translate the document into other languages are welcomed. It is now up to us to turn words into action, and to mobilise ourselves and our communities behind these 10 key areas for action.

>> Internal link

• Text of Nairobi 2007 Call to Action: English; French; Spanish

• My Pledge of Action