What an incredible whirlwind at the Women Deliver 2023 Conference in Kigali, Rwanda! As GNP+, we stood firm in promoting gender equality with a lens on girls and women living with HIV in all their diversity. With six thousand delegates from across the world, including advocates, policymakers, civil society, donors, the private sector, and UN agencies, Women Deliver facilitated inspired connections and collaboration, advancing towards a more gender-just world.
Hosted in Africa for the first time, the main conference agenda, unfortunately, marginalised HIV. However, throughout the week, GNP+ and other civil society organisations emphasised the vital role of girls and women living with HIV in all their diversity and their potential to sustain gender equality solutions. Amidst an action-packed programme, here are some favourite moments that left a lasting impact on us:
In collaboration with the Global Network of Young People Living with HIV (Y+ Global) and the International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW), GNP+ conducted a closed consultation to discuss the meaning of achieving gender equality for girls and women living with HIV in all our diversity. The session focused on how feminists could amplify and build upon existing movements for girls and women living with HIV, working together for reproductive justice, gender equality, and improved SRHR outcomes.
GNP+ highlighted its role in the Global Fund Cycle 7 during a side event on gender equality advocacy. We developed tools for community engagement in identifying priorities and providing input for funding requests. Other speakers from the Global Fund, Y+ Global, and Women4GlobalFund joined in emphasising the importance of community systems in an effective HIV response, particularly for marginalised groups, and overcoming gender and human rights barriers to accessing HIV services.
At Fondation Botnar’s electrifying session, Ctrl+Alt+Advocate, GNP+ joined forces with Restless Development and Amnesty International to champion youth-led online activism for digital rights. Shedding light on the impact of human rights violations, we aligned with our strategic plan, engaging communities in research to harness digital technologies’ immense benefits, which include better care and health information access while addressing privacy, exclusion, and misinformation risks.
Love Alliance, alongside WRADA and ILGA World, organised a side event that delved into the conference’s theme, creating a space to educate movements on the anti-gender movement. The event stood in solidarity with movements facing challenges due to the anti-gender opposition and offered solutions to counter it. GNP+ highlighted the #NotACriminal campaign, which unites key populations from discrimination and gender-based violence, and advocates for evidence-based legislation in place of harmful laws.
Frontline AIDS hosted a side event, HIV is a feminist issue, which involved Christine Stegling, the Deputy Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Knowledge at UNAIDS. Christine shared hope, highlighting the possibility of ending AIDS. However, she stressed the vital need for resources, political commitment, and the prioritisation of discussions on HIV at the centre of Women Deliver.
As GNP+ reflects on the impactful moments at the Women Deliver 2023 Conference, we renew and strengthen our commitment to gender equality. Our efforts have focused on girls and women living with HIV in all their diversity, championing meaningful support for women living with HIV-led organisations, youth-led digital activism, and solidarity against the anti-gender movement. Recognising that Women Deliver is still a challenging and limited space for diverse communities, especially marginalised populations such as transgender women and sex workers, to access and navigate, the conference created powerful momentum for knowledge-sharing and building alliances to address pressing challenges.
As intersectional feminists and Women Deliver Young Leaders, we returned home reaffirmed and proud of the solidarity displayed by the PLHIV community and its continued commitment to fight for human rights and gender equality for all. We look forward to reaching out and connecting with organisations, collectives and partners that share our vision and inspire our work.
In true feminist solidarity,
Bruna Martinez and Nomtika Mjwana, on behalf of the GNP+ Team
