Positive Womens' National Consultation

[Guest guest]

Positive Womens' National Consultation.

POSITIVE FACES AND VOICES OF WOMEN FROM INDIA

We the Positive Women of South India are organizing a National women's

Consultation & workshop " Positive faces and voices of women from India "

from the 8th to the 11th of March 2002, at Chennai.

The first two days would have only women living with HIV as

participants. On the third and fourth days the sessions are open for women

activists, NGOs, and the Government representatives.

The number of participants has been limited to 75, of which 35 are

Women living with HIV and 15 are women activities. There are 5 men

living with HIV, 10 steering committee members and 10 support staff/

volunteers also will be participating in the consultation and workshop.

Please note only women activists, and women living with HIV, can

participate. Therefore, whoever is interested in such issues, may

contact us with their details by the 6th of February.

Kousalya

POSITIVE WOMEN NETWORK OF SOUTH INDIA

23, BRINDAVAN STREET, WEST MAMBALAM, CHENNAI-33. INDIA

Ph. 3711176, 4717363.

E-mail: poswonet@...

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Outline of the consultation and the workshop

TITLE: `POSITIVE FACES AND VOICES OF WOMEN FROM INDIA'

ORGANISING ENTITY: THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL

CONSULTATION FOR HIV POSITIVE WOMEN (consisting of women

representatives from INP+, PWN+, DNP+, PAN, MNP+ (Manipur), MNP+

(Maharashtra, ICW, Positive Life, Sahara)

ELECTED CORE GROUP: INP+, ICW, PAN, PWN+

ELECTED EXECUTING AGENCY: POSITIVE WOMEN NETWORK OF SOUTH INDIA 23,

BRINDAVAN STREET, WEST MAMBALAM, CHENNAI-33

Ph. 3711176, 4717363. Email: poswonet@...

SUPPORT AGENCY: INDIAN NETWORK FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (INP+)

INTRODUCTION

Women representatives of the agencies referred to above established in

April 2001 a Steering Committee to plan and process the work towards

increased attention and response to the issues related to women and

HIV/AIDS in India. Two Steering Committee meetings have already been

held in New Delhi (hosted jointly by UNAIDS and UNIFEM). The

deliberations of the Steering Committee resulted in the decision to

jointly gather the HIV positive women known to the Steering Committee

from all over India to a national consultation. In order to manage

this task, the Steering Committee agreed to form a core group of 4

members to take the lead. It was also agreed that PWN+ and INP+

collaborate in organising the consultation. PWN+ would take the lead

on the contents and be co-ordinating and handling the funds, while

INP+ would support logistically.

Positive women network of south India (PWN+)

PWN+ is a self-help organisation of women living with HIV, registered

under the Tamil Nadu state society's registration act in October 1998.

The organisation functions as an information centre, and its

activities include Networking, Advocacy of issues of women living with

HIV, Counselling, Training, Initiation of self-help groups of women

living with HIV, organising workshops and sensitising groups on

positive living and issues of women living with HIV/AIDS.

Background:

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has brought about a drastic global change far

more extensive than what was predicted. HIV, which was originally

considered only as a serious health problem has now clearly emerged as

a development crisis, shaking the very roots of a nation. There are

about 36.1 million people living with HIV worldwide, out of which 5.8

million are from South and South East Asia, with India, having 3.86

million people living with HIV (NACO, 2001). Women and children

account for about 1.46 million among the total population of people

living with HIV in India and HIV/AIDS continues to emerge as one of

India's most complex epidemics; a challenge that extends beyond public

health, raising fundamental issues of human rights and drastically

affecting development.

The need to prevent the epidemic and at the same time, provide care

and support, calls for an unprecedented response from all sections of

the society. But with new infections increasing everyday, it has

become clearly apparent that the Government should take stock of its

initiative in working to control the epidemic. The Government has till

date concentrated more on prevention strategies than on providing care

and support to people living with HIV, and in involving them in their

efforts, which is one of the major factors involved in the lack of

control of HIV/AIDS in India.

The impact of HIV/AIDS on women and children is very drastic and

acute. In many developing nations, women are already economically,

culturally and socially disadvantaged, and lack equal access to

treatment, financial support and education. Here, women are often

perceived as the main transmitters of sexually transmitted infections,

leading to further stigmatisation. Some of the issues of women include

physical ill-health, compounded due to more concentration on husband

and children's health and needs, lack of availability of proper

medication, and inability to afford those that are available;

discrimination and non-availability of treatment for even

opportunistic infections at health care centres; sudden role reversal

as a sole breadwinner of family for some women; and lack of resources

and support systems available to women and children living with HIV.

Objectives:

a) To facilitate experience sharing among women living with HIV, and

identifying critical issues.

To develop concrete advocacy strategies for Government and women's

organisations.

c) To elicit a strong commitment from Government agencies towards

HIV/AIDS related women's issues.

d) To establish definite follow-up activities in care and support, and

income generation for women living with HIV.

Expected outcomes:

The workshop would lead to the following:

a) Increased awareness among the participants of access to information

about services on all aspects related to HIV

List of recommendations to government officials and women's groups on

responding to the needs of HIV positive women and women's

vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS

c) Increased understanding of HIV/AIDS related issues among government

and women's groups

d) Developed concrete follow-up plan/initiatives in the field of capacity

building and income generation of women living with HIV in

e) collaboration with the participating women's groups, donors and

government representatives

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