International Women's Summit

Women's Leadership Making a Difference on HIV and AIDS

The World YWCA, in partnership with the International Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS (ICW) and other international organisations, will convene an unprecedented international conference on women’s leadership on HIV and AIDS. The International Women’s Summit (IWS) will take place from July 4-7, 2007 in Nairobi, Kenya, in conjunction with the World Council meeting.

The conference will bring together 1500 women of all ages and HIV statuses and other stakeholders.It will feature a wide range of activities and sessions and exceptional speakers to celebrate and expand the power of women’s leadership. This Summit will further build our skills, strategize how we can strengthen existing partnerships and create new networks in order to mobilise the changes needed to reverse the global HIV pandemic on women and girls at all levels. The first day, July 4, will be a Positive Women’s Forum exclusively for HIV positive women.

Partners include : Action Aid, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, Guttmacher Institute, ISIS-WICCE, Lutheran World Federation, Norwegian Church Aid, Rwanda Women’s Network, UNAIDS, Well Project, World Association for Christian Communication and World Council of Churches.

Goals

• To highlight the difference women’s leadership is making in response to HIV and AIDS by making visible African and young women’s leadership, at grassroots and community levels, including national, regional and international levels.
• To build the capacity of leaders and their organisations in undertaking sustainable programmes that address cutting-edge issues
• To raise awareness and mobilise the women’s movement on HIV and AIDS and crosscutting issues and produce the evidence required to effect change at all levels in society
• To provide the space for networking and the building of strategic partnerships that will broaden the impact of responses to HIV and AIDS at all levels.

Positive Women’s Forum

This one-day event on 4 July 2007 will unite 500 women from all over the world and will be organized, led and attended exclusively by HIV positive women. The World YWCA in partnership with the International Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS (ICW) and other regional and national networks of positive women are the initiators of this forum. The Forum will be a safe space to facilitate networking of women living with HIV and AIDS and address agendas of choice for women living with HIV.

Women Leading Change Awards

An awards ceremony will honour exceptional leadership of community women, both young and old, in the areas of prevention, treatment, care and support, advocacy and policy making as well as addressing gender inequality and stigma and discrimination.
More information on nominating women for this award

Breakaway sessions and workshops

The IWS will include plenary, breakaway sessions and workshops on a wide range of intersecting issues linked to women and HIV and AIDS.

Town Hall Meetings

There will be Town Hall meetings that will run concurrently and will take place in strategic locations in Nairobi.These meetings will tackle some of the cutting edge issues that impact responses to HIV and AIDS.These will encourage participation of the local communities in Kenya and will invite wide press coverage.

Sokoni: A Marketplace of ideas, strategies and goods

Sokoni, a Swahili word for marketplace will be open to all throughout the IWS.Sokoni will be a place for the exchange of ideas and strategies, private consultations, exhibitions and films, networking, buying and sharing of goods, souvenirs and handicrafts, counseling, a place for encounter and meeting new friends and a wide array of other activities and events.

Don’t miss this opportunity…

• Become part of a new vision for women’s leadership on HIV and AIDS
• Contribute to providing evidence-based solutions that work for women and girls
• Acquire new skills and tools to enhance your leadership
• Network and connect with local, regional and global change-makers
• Strategize for increased access to funding women’s leadership initiatives on HIV and AIDS
• Celebrate, be inspired and nurtured by women and men committed to changing lives and changing communities