In the past “HIV positive women have not been listened to and heard”, declared Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, and honorary patron of the International Community of Women living with HIV (ICW) in her opening session remarks. “Women are the experts”. There are “no voices more important than those of women living with HIV” added Robinson as she encouraged positive women to take a human rights approach to combating gender inequity and other issues fueling the epidemic such as stigma and discrimination, unaffordable health care, economic empowerment and sexual and reproductive rights.

Women of all ages and a variety of lived experiences gave testimony about the challenges and success in their efforts to bring their issues, which crossed cultural and geographic boundaries, to the forefront. Irina Borushek, co-founder of the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV and Gcebile Ndlovu, ICW Southern Africa Regional Coordinator, were among the speakers highlighting human rights violations such as refusal to treat due to drug use, coerced sterilization and lack of access to treatment. Positive women identified the urgent need to provide third and fourth line antiretroviral therapies to those who had exhausted currently available treatment options. They challenged policy makers, industry and mainstream women's organizations such as the World YWCA to listen to positive women and provide them with opportunities to participate in all levels of decision making.

Veteran positive women leaders offered support and mentorship to a new generation of activists, some of which have been infected since birth.

Martha Judith Naigwe, 21-year-old activist from Uganda, and Stephanie, a 15-year-old Australian were born with HIV. These dynamic women concurred that young people are the leaders of the future and encouraged policy makers and communities to educate youth about the facts concerning HIV to stem the spread of infection and put an end to stigma and discrimination faced by those living with HIV.

Dr Musimbi Kanyoro, General Secretary of the World YWCA agreed with President Robinson’s remarks telling positive women, “Your leadership is what will make a difference”. The World YWCA’s commitment to the inclusion of positive women was echoed by UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot, who told the group that “it is you who is making the difference.”

The historic meeting which opened the International Women's Summit in Nairobi Kenya on July 4, 2007 was hosted by the World YWCA in partnership with ICW.
For more information

Kaburo Kobia, director of communication, World YWCA
T: +254 72 070 212, kaburo.kobia@worldywca.org
Sara Speicher, IWS press room coordination and interview requests
T: +254 72 070 5111, sara@communicationpoint.org