Over 270 positive women will address realities and strategies for change around five key challenges:

• Women’s leadership and economic empowerment

• Affordable health care and treatment issues

• Gender inequalities

• Stigma and discrimination

• Human rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls

“We hope to further unite the positive women’s movement to move the HIV and AIDS agenda forward for positive women. We also hope to nurture new leadership and partnerships between the YWCAs and the positive women’s movement,” says Sophie Dilmitis, World YWCA HIV and AIDS Coordinator, who has led the organizing team in preparation for the Forum.

According to UNAIDS, almost 50 percent of adults (over 15) living with HIV are women, and the proportion of women newly infected continues to grow in every region. Currently, approximately 17.5 million women are living with HIV globally, an increase of over one million within the last two years. The proportion is highest in sub-Saharan Africa, where almost 60 percent of people living with HIV are women.

The Forum prepares positive women for the International Women’s Summit: Women’s Leadership on HIV and AIDS. Over 1800 participants will attend the full summit beginning on 5 July. The summit will close on 7 July with a “Call to Action” emphasizing critical areas that all stakeholders need to address to transform the lives of women and girls infected and affected by the pandemic.

Press conference today: Strengthening the Positive Women’s Movement

12:00-12:30, VIP Lounge7, Kenyatta International Conference Center

Sophie Dilmitis, (Zimbabwe), HIV and AIDS coordinator, World YWCA
Gcecile Ndlovu, (Swaziland), International Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS – Southern Africa Regional Coordinator
Inviolata Mwali Mmbwavi (Kenya), founding National Coordinator of NEPHAK

The Positive Women’s Forum is closed to the media but in addition to the press conference, selected video footage will be available on request. See contact information below.

Media must register to attend press conferences and other events during the Summit. Registration can be done on-site. Please bring your press credentials/letter of assignment. A full schedule of events, bios, speeches and other information is available on request and via www.worldywca.org.

Webcasts of the sessions will be available via www. kaisernetwork.org

For more information

Kaburo Kobia, director of communication, World YWCA
T: +254 72 070 122, kaburo.kobia@worldywca.org
Sara Speicher, IWS press room coordination and interview requests
T: +254 72 070 5111, sara@communicationpoint.org