Funding To Fight HIV/Aids Through The Promotion Of Women's Rights: A Case Study From South Africa
The HIV and AIDS pandemic increasingly affects women, who account for the highest rate of new infections and who are the care givers of those affected by the disease.
Even when some governments and international organisms recognized this and have started to implement “gender policies”, it is clear that much more efforts are needed to fight the feminization of HIV and AIDS, and much more resources for women’s rights initiatives are required.
In 2006, AWID conducted a global survey which was answered by almost 1000 women’s rights organizations worldwide. In it, we ratified that there are many difficulties that prevent those organizations from accessing funding. Particularly, the 512 respondents that declared working on HIV and AIDS affirmed that it is very challenging for them to tackle resources that allow them to advance the work they do in this area as related to women’s rights. Furthermore, there’s a sense of scarcity when it comes to approaches that are rights-based.
With these concerns in mind, and looking towards its 11th International Forum held in South Africa in November 2008, AWID commissioned a consultancy with experts on HIV and AIDS and funding, which had two phases. Phase one, carried out by Debbie Budlender, was centered on bilateral funding for the work on HIV, AIDS and women in South Africa. Phase two, developed by Vicci Tallis, explored more broadly different funding sources and their dynamics in the country, compiling the report presented hereby, that brings together the findings from both phases of the research process.
This document includes an introduction to some general trends in the funding landscape for women’s rights organizations working on HIV and AIDS, and presents the report produced in that consultancy process. The research process was coordinated by Cindy Clark and Fernanda Hopenhaym from AWID.
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