| From: |
Lindsay Menard-Freeman [ profile ] |
| Subject: |
FEIM Press Release: The Declaration at the UN HLM on AIDS did notAchieve Sufficient Advances for Women and Girls
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| Sent: |
Jun 17th, 2011 - 14:49:07 |
| Attachments: |
10-6-11 comunicado FEIM_ING.pdf
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PRESS RELEASE – 10/6/2011
THE DECLARATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON AIDS
DID NOT ACHIEVE SUFFICIENT ADVANCES FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS
FEIM participated in the meeting that concludes today with the signing of a new global commitment
to halt the epidemic
Just hours away from the conclusion of this important meeting on AIDS at the United Nations headquarters in New York and after more than a month of difficult negotiations, UN member countries will adopt a new Declaration on HIV/AIDS. “The main omission in this declaration of commitment is in regard to women and girls. Despite the presentations and sessions held that marked how the epidemic now affects women more, especially young and poor women, throughout the world, only some progress was made in the concrete commitments,” said Mabel Bianco, president of FEIM and NGO representative inn the UNAIDS Program Coordinating Board (PCB).
The High Level Meeting on AIDS, held 10 years after the first session was convened by the UN Secretary facing the need for commitments from countries around the world to accelerate the reduction of the epidemic, marked an important milestone to adopt new challenges. This year, under the slogan “zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths, through universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support,” the countries presented their achievements and obstacles to achieving the commitments they had assumed, and the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, took stock of the situation of the epidemic and the fulfillment of the goals adopted in 2001, which clearly indicated that there is still much to do in achieving Universal Access, which would allow for treating those who need it and preventing new infections.
“Women continue to be considered only in the capacity as mothers and 'transmitters of HIV' to their children, as if the father had nothing to do with maternity and HIV transmission,” Bianco said, adding that “before and after maternity, women are neglected in the response to the epidemic. Little was achieved for ensuring sexual and reproductive health, for eliminating violence against women and for improving prevention methods for women and girls.”
Despite the commitments expressed by the Sub Secretary-General and head of UN Women, Michelle Bachelet, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, the Executive Director of UNFPA, Babatunde Osotimehin, and the many expressions and demonstrations made by women living with and affected by HIV, researchers, political leaders, health authorities and representatives of women´s organizations, the issue ended up being limited to these areas and their commitments failed to be adequately expressed in the document adopted.
“Other populations such as transgender people, indigenous people and people who use drugs by routes other than injection were also barely considered or simply ignored. So, at the conclusion of this meeting, many of us are left with the feeling that the forms and methods of decision making still need to include a greater presence of women and a real commitment to changing power relations,” said Bianco, and “We will continue fighting because equality between women and men is still a utopia.”
More information
.FUNDACIÓN PARA ESTUDIO E INVESTIGACIÓN DE LA MUJER – FEIM
(5411) 4372.2763 | feim (at) feim.org.ar | www.feim.org.ar
From NY: Mabel Bianco: (5411) 15.6478.3635 | bianco.mabel (at) gmail.com
Press Contact: 15.4421.4264 | gisela (at) feim.org.ar
High Level Meeting on AIDS: http://www.un.org/en/ga/aidsmeeting2011/
________________________________________________________
Fundacion para Estudio e Investigacion de la Mujer -FEIM-
"Veinte años promoviendo los derechos de las mujeres y niñas"
"Twenty years promoting women's and girls' rights"
Parana 135 Piso 3 "13" (1017) | Tel./Fax: (+54 11) 4372 2763
Buenos Aires - Argentina | www.feim.org.ar
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