National Workshop on Prevention Options for Women: Female Condom and Microbicide

[Guest guest]

Indian Workshop on Prevention Options for Women: Female Condom and

Microbicides

Gujarat AIDS Awareness and Prevention Unit (GAP) is a non-governmental

organization working in the field of HIV/AIDS for the last fourteen

years, locally, nationally and globally. GAP also initiated the

networking of national NGOs working on HIV/AIDS, which has given the

shape to Indian Network of NGOs (INN), an umbrella organization of

NGOs from all over India working on HIV/AIDS. IN N has now more than

300 members.

INN initiated the advocacy and campaign programme on Female Condom and

Microbicides in 2001.

To make the civil society group engage effectively in the development

and introduction of microbicides and female condom in India, Indian

Network of NGOs working on HIV/AIDS (INN), Gujarat AIDS Awareness and

Prevention (GAP) unit, Global Campaign for Microbicides and Program

for Appropriate Technology in Health (Path) India are jointly

organizing a " National Workshop on Prevention Options for Women:

Female Condom and Microbicides " , on the 10th and 11th October 2002,

at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

Community stakeholders will play an instrumental role in shaping the

process and progress of women-focused HIV prevention, including the

introduction of the female condom and the development and

introduction of microbicides.

To facilitate this process, community stakeholders should be prepared

with information, resources, contacts, and mechanisms for active

engagement in efforts to bring women-focused prevention methods to

the public in India.

The participants are representatives from community and NGOs:

- Are leaders or high-level people from recognized NGOs involved in

HIV/AIDS prevention , policy advocacy, women's health and rights.

- Are representatives of a network or constituency and are able to

disseminate information and messages.

- Have a demonstrated understanding of gender inequalities as they

interact with HIV risk in India.

- Representative from UNAIDS, UNFPA, policy makers and representatives

from the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO).

What will the Meeting Accomplish?

The goal of the meeting is to prepare representatives from the Indian

NGO community to be informed and active participants in the expansion

of access to women-focused HIV-prevention methods such as the female

condom and microbicides in India. In addition to invited

participants from the NGO community, the meeting will bring in as

resource persons representatives from policy, programming, and

research, as well as global advocates to share their own experiences

in the field.

Specifically, the meeting will:

- Educate participants about female condom introduction and

microbicide

research in India.

- Identify possible roles of advocates and the NGO community in

facilitating research, introduction, access and use of the female

condom and microbicides in India.

- Mobilize early involvement of community stakeholders in promoting

and delivering new women-focused HIV prevention technologies in India.

The agenda includes: Key presentations from Project Director- NACO and

Health Secretary- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. NGO

perspectives on current challenges for female protection and

prevention, Prevention options for women: Microbicides and Female

Condom, Advocacy and Future directions.

Dr Radium Bhattacharya

GAP-ISRCDE

E-mail: gapad1@...

_________________________