Gracia Violeta’s life is one of inspiration. The daughter of spiritual leaders, both of her parents have founded churches in Bolivia, she has overcome many challenges and paved the way for women leaders in Bolivia, particularly for women living with HIV. When she was younger, sexuality was not something frequently discussed in her church. As such, when she discovered that she was living with HIV, she struggled for two years to tell her family and the church community. Contrary to her fears, however, her family supported her and her church welcomed her with open arms once she disclosed her HIV status - marking the beginning of her advocacy. Now in solidarity with her, the church in her community works in promoting awareness for people living with HIV.

Today, Gracia Violeta is the National Chair of the Bolivian Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (REDBOL). She is a member of the Task Force for the Global Youth Coalition against AIDS, and a member of the Leadership Council of the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS. She has also served as the co-chair of the Community Programme Committee for the XVI International AIDS Conference. In less than eight years, she has transformed the way that women living with HIV are perceived in Latin American advocacy organisations.

In Bolivia, and the rest of Latin America, women’s voices and issues are often marginalised, and HIV is seen as an issue faced primarily by men. Since Gracia Violeta began her advocacy in 2000,she has promoted the recognition and the strong and equal involvement of women living with HIV in Latin America. Working with gender inequality within the networks of people with HIV has been a difficult task, but one that she has been more than successful in overcoming.

When she began her work, many of the leaders of the movement were concerned that, in the acknowledgement of women as being vulnerable to HIV, the work being done by men would be eclipsed. Gracia Violeta, however, faced these challenges and advocated for a gender analysis of HIV, highlighting the ineffectiveness of only working with men in an epidemic that involves both men and women. Further, she has demanded that women and girls have affordable access to information that will protect them from HIV.

In 2004, she participated in the organisation of the First Meeting of Women Living With HIV in Bolivia. It was a project that was met with concerns by the male dominated network of REDBOL as something that would divide the network between men and women. However, the turning point came when they met with Gracia and the rest of the women, and realised how critical it was to fully integrate women in the response to HIV.

Today, Latin American leaders advocate for issues relating to women, and women are making their voices heard louder than ever before. Before Gracia Violeta began her advocacy work, there were no women leaders in Latin America addressing HIV and AIDS issues. Today, an increasing number of women are taking leadership in the response to HIV and AIDS, proving that Gracia Violeta’s work has been an integral aspect in gaining recognition for women living with HIV.