KAMPALA DECLARATION ON GENDER AND HIV & AIDS

Kampala Declaration on gender and HIV/AIDS
November 2001
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[Please find below the full text of the Kampala Declaration on gender
and HIV/AIDS. Among the gender dimensions of HIV/AIDS identified,
inadequacy of gender sensitive and responsive HIV & AIDS policies and
programmes was highlighted. In response, one of the main recommendations
was that HIV & AIDS policies and programmes must integrate gender.

For some time now, it has been commonly acknowledged that this is
necessary - however, the question we need to ask is "How can we do
this?"

We would be grateful if people could share their ideas and suggestions
about how this can be done. We could also benefit from learning about
practical examples of programmes and policies where gender has been
successfully integrated and is making an impact -Mods]

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KAMPALA DECLARATION ON GENDER AND HIV & AIDS

We, the participants from IGAD Countries (IGAD Countries include:
Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda) together
with Burundi, Comoros and Rwanda, meeting in a regional conference on
Gender and HIV & AIDS in Kampala Uganda, from 27-28 November 2001,
under the auspices of UNIFEM, UNAIDS and IGAD;

Recognizing the commitments to gender equality made at important
international for a including; the African Development Forum, 2000; the
Abuja Summit, 2001; the Special Session of the United Nations General
Assembly on AIDS (UNGASS), 2001; the Kigali Declaration of First Ladies
of Sub-Saharan Africa adopted at UNGASS, as well as the efforts of the
African governments in developing policies and strategies to combat HIV
& AIDS in a gender sensitive and responsive manner;

Remain concerned about the threat paused by HIV & AIDS to regional
development especially in the context of war, civil conflict, wide
mobility of populations, increased poverty, gender imbalances and food
insecurity. Women and girls remain vulnerable to HIV infection as a
result of gender based violence, particularly mass rape which is used as
a means to subdue the enemy.

Note that women and girls continue to carry the heavier burden of
HIV/AIDS with the epidemic's psychological, social and economic
ramifications.

Deliberated on viable strategies for integrating gender in HIV/AIDS
policies and programs; shared experiences on initiatives being taken to
address the gender dimensions of HIV & AIDS in the sub-region and
developed a consensus on gender mainstreaming in HIV & AIDS at country
and regional level.

We identified gender dimensions of HIV & AIDS in the following areas:

a) Political will
* inadequacy of gender sensitive and responsive HIV & AIDS policies and
programs,
* lack of adequate representation of women in critical decision making
structures and institutions,
* inadequacy of sex disegregated data and resources for responding to
gender dimensions of HIV & AIDS.

b) Prevention
* Equal access to information
* Female control of prevention methods
* Treatment and management of Sexually Transmitted Infections
* Utilization of Voluntary Counseling and Testing
* Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission.

c) Care and Support,
* women as majority care givers
* women and child headed households
* skills and capacities of care givers
* cost of care to household economies
* household food security and nutrition.

d) Cultural Barriers and Concerns.
* widow inheritance
* early marriages
* condemnation of multiple partners (especially for men)
* disinheritance of deceased's spouse and children
* female genital cutting and skin piercing, and
* other negative and humiliating practices.

Guided by our consensus on the need for a comprehensive and viable
strategy for integrating gender in HIV & AIDS policies and programs;
the Dakar and Beijing Platforms for Action; the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as well as the African
Charter on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) draft Additional Protocol
on Women's Human Rights;

We therefore make the following recommendations: That,

1. HIV & AIDS Prevention, Care and Mitigation programs must be guided
by principles of women empowerment, gender equality, human rights and
participation of communities and women.

2. HIV & AIDS policies and programs must integrate gender.

3. Governments and communities must respond to the effects of gender
based violence especially in countries of conflict.

4. Governments and other partners should undertake research on gender
dimensions of HIV & AIDS as part of the advocacy and for gender
responsive planning.

5. Governments and other partners with support from UNIFEM and UNAIDS
should develop and disseminate guidelines and tools for gender
mainstreaming.

6. IGAD countries together with Burundi, Comoros and Rwanda are
encouraged to undertake and or to strengthen gender budgeting
initiatives with a focus on cost of care for HIV & AIDS.

7. Governments with the support of international partners and key
involvement of civil society are encouraged to develop gender related
indicators for monitoring HIV & AIDS prevention programs. The Poverty
Reduction Strategy Programs (PRSPs) should incorporate the same
indicators.

8. Consideration should be given to develop a regional fund to respond
to gender and HIV & AIDS as part of an affirmative action strategy for
the Global Fund for HIV & AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

For further information on this please contact:

Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda
Regional Program Director
UNIFEM-ECHA
Email: [email protected].

OR

Dr Warren Naamara
Country Program Advisor
UNAIDS-Kenya
Email : [email protected]

OR

Atsede Zerfu
Chief, Women's Desk
IGAD
Email: [email protected]

This declaration was drafted by more than 130 Ugandan women attending
the "A Focus on Women Conference" which was an official satellite event
of the Third International Conference on Global Strategies for the
Prevention of HIV Transmission from Mothers to Infants held in Kampala,
Uganda, from 9 to 13 September 2001.

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on behalf of the Fondation du Present (FdP) with
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The views expressed in this forum do not necessarily
reflect those of HDN, FdP and HST.

Reproduction welcomed, provided source and forum email
address is quoted as follows: Copyright GENDER-AIDS
2002 Email: [email protected]

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