Kenya to host global conference on women, AIDS
NAIROBI, 6th June: Kenya is set to hold the first ever international conference on women and AIDS in July to mobilize urgent responses to rising HIV infection rates among women and girls in every region of the world, organizers said on Wednesday.
The World Fellowship Committee (World YWCA) said the July 4 to 7 “International Womens Summit on Womens Leadership and HIV and AIDS” will bring together over 1.500 people, ranging from high level policymakers, celebrities and global leaders to community health workers and AIDS activists.
“The Women Summit seeks to address the impact of AIDS on women and girls, exploring issues such as poverty, violence against women, children’s rights and access to decision-making and resources,” the statement said.
The global women summit comes as statistics indicate that about 80 percent of new infections occur in girls and young women.
This event is organized by the World YWCA (KFUK), one of the largest womens organizations in the world, which has made AIDS a global priority for its work with over 25 million women and girls in 125 countries.
The Summit is co-convened with the International Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS, and has the support of the UNAIDS Global Coalition on Women and AIDS and UNFPA.
The meeting will also be attended by HIV positive women from around the world who will address issues of concern for positive women such as womens leadership and economic empowerment; affordable health care and treatment.
– We hope to further unite the positive women’s movement to move the HIV and AIDS agenda forward for positive women. We also hope to nurture new leadership and partnerships between the YWCAs and the positive womens movement, says Sophie Dilmitis, World YWCA HIV and AIDS Coordinator ahead of the meeting.
Kilder: Xinhua og The Push Journal
