Women WON’T Wait

"Women Won't Wait" is an international coalition of organizations and networks working to promote women's health and human rights in the struggle to address HIV and AIDS and end all forms of violence against women and girls.

"Women Won't Wait" seeks to speed up effective responses to the linkages of violence against all women and girls and the spread of HIV. The campaign's vision is to ensure: That women's and girls' human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled; That women's and girls' vulnerability to HIV&AIDS are reduced; That there is an emphasis on building gender equality and women's empowerment in responses to HIV&AIDS and violence against women and girls; That violence against women infected and affected by HIV&AIDS are addressed; and That there is greater public attention and political will to address gender-based violence.

The campaign strives to achieve this vision through the following objectives: To formulate and improve policies, programmes, advocacy and services that better integrate HIV&AIDS and VAW/G; To increase the level of resources (funding and human) committed by governments, donors, multilateral institutions and civil society (including NGOs) to addressing violence against women and girls, in and of itself, and as part of the response to HIV&AIDS; To improve the legal framework (laws and policies) to better address, prevent and combat/contest/challenge violence against women and girls and allocate appropriate resources and services to support women's and girls' empowerment. To build mutual accountability among women's rights, sexual and reproductive health/rights, human rights and HIV groups to each other.

The "Women Won't Wait" press conference was the official launch of the campaign with  Mary Robinson as the prominent speaker at the launch. Members of the eight-person panel introduced the "Women Won't Wait" campaign and its mission. The panelists' presentations highlighted the campaign's report, "Show Us the Money: Is Violence Against Women on the HIV&AIDS Donor Agenda?" and issues surrounding violence against women and HIV/AIDS and what international aid agencies are and are not doing to address these issues. Funding for this event was provided through a grant form the UN Foundation.

Text and photograph courtesy Women WON’T Wait website. WWW is apartner and Cooperating Organization with dgCommunity Gender and Development.

With Women Worldwide - A Compact to End HIV/AIDS (IWHC)

Sexual and reproductive rights are a pivotal neglected priority in HIV/AIDS policy, programming and resource allocation. Failure to protect the human rights of girls and women, including their right to health and their right to live free of sexual coercion and violence, fuels the pandemic. Universal access to sexual and reproductive health service. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 12, 2008
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Mainstreaming a gender perspective in IFAD's operations

During IFAD’s 25 years of existence, gender equality and women’s empowerment have gained increasing importance, both as objectives and as instruments for poverty reduction. In its operations, IFAD aims to: expand women’s access to and control over fundamental assets – capital, land, knowledge and technologies; strengthen women’s agency – their deci. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 12, 2008
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An IFAD approach to gender mainstreaming: The experience of Latin America and the Caribbean

This publication documents IFAD's experiences in gender mainstreaming in Latin America and the Caribbean. It describes why gender mainstreaming is important to the region, plots the development of the Fund's integrated gender approach and highlights key strengths and weaknesses of the ongoing process. More specific sector approaches and tools are d. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 12, 2008
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Healthy Cities Contest Seeks Entries

The Third International Active Cities, Healthy Cities Contest is seeking entries from towns and cities in Latin America and the Caribbean that have sponsored initiatives to encourage healthy living and improve the quality of life for their residents. Past winners have included: * Belo Horizonte, Brazil's "City Streets" initiative, which prom. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 12, 2008
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"Best Gender Practices" Honored on International Women's Day

A Bolivian project that reduced deaths of mothers and children in rural areas and a Mexican effort to improve diabetes care for men and women were honored as winners of the first "Best Practices Incorporating a Gender Equality Perspective in Health" contest at an observance of International Women's Day, held Mar. 8 at Pan American Health Organizati. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 12, 2008
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Researchers Report that Better Screening, Treatment, and Affordable Vaccines Can Prevent Doubling of Cervical Cancer Deaths in Latin America

Mexico City, May 12, 2008 — Thirty-three thousand women in Latin America and the Caribbean die each year of preventable cervical cancer, caused by a virus that infects 20 percent of men and women in the region and as many as 30 percent of the youngest women, according to a new study. Dramatic new opportunities offered by better screening, treatment. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 12, 2008
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Convocatoria Fondo Fiduciario para Eliminar la Violencia contra las Mujeres

El Fondo Fiduciario para Eliminar la Violencia contra las Mujeres de la ONU (UN Trust Fund) convoca a presentación de propuestas para el ciclo de 2008. La convocatoria se abre para los de mecanismos de gobierno a nivel nacional y local, organizaciones y redes de la sociedad civil – incluyendo organizaciones no-gubernamentales (ONGs), organizaciones. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 12, 2008
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The Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE)

The Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) is a network of Gender Focal Points in United Nations offices, specialized agencies, funds and programmes. The Network has played a central role in promoting gender equality throughout the United Nations system and in follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 . . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 12, 2008
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Short History of CEDAW Convention

Equality of rights for women is a basic principle of the United Nations. The Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations sets as one of the Organization's central goals the reaffirmation of "faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women". Article 1 proclaims that one of the p. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 12, 2008
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New CD-Rom Documents 25 Years of Work in Eliminating Discrimination against Women (January 2008)

A new CD-ROM issued by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women provides easy access to 25 years of work of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Following an introduction and overview of the Committee’s work, the CD-ROM provides the full text of all concluding comments issued by the Committee since it. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 12, 2008
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