Thousands to march for Human Rights during AIDS 2010
On Tuesday July 20, 2010, the World YWCA delegation at the International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010) joined between 9,000 and 20,000 activists in a Human Rights March through the streets of central Vienna.
The March, a component of the Human Rights and HIV and AIDS: Now More Than Ever campaign , called for the recognition of human rights of people living with HIV and of those affected by HIV, especially women and young people, transgender people, sex workers and injecting drugs users.
Excitement started brewing late afternoon at the World YWCA’s conference booth in the Global Village of the International AIDS Conference, where the YWCA’s young women delegates began practicing their marching skills, incorporating vuvuzela’s, dancing, female condom demonstrations and lots of laughs.
Armed with the World YWCA banner, pink scarves and orange Human Rights March t-shirts, the World YWCA delegation joined the March. They advocated for the human rights of women and girls, gave a voice to the Conference theme of ‘ Rights Here, Right Now’ and demonstrated the YWCA’s commitment to young women’s participation and empowerment.
The YWCA delegation danced, walked and stumbled their way to the loud beat of drums, horns and whistles, past many historical Austrian sites including the Vienna City Hall and Parliament, which were both adorned with large Red Ribbons.
The March ended with a public rally at Heldenplatz, outside the Hofburg Emperial Palace at Heroes’ Square. Several speakers, representing the diversity of the crowd, spoke and called for the safeguarding of human rights and for solidarity and support from everyone, including international politicians.
The energetic commitment of the crowd and collective call for human rights, concluded with a performance from UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador Annie Lennox. In her performance, Lennox showed the significant impact that HIV and AIDS has on women and children by running short films from her SING Campaign.
The rally was led by a global coalition of organisations including Lennox’s SING Campaign, the International AIDS Society, and the Open Society Institute, as well as local groups Aids Hilfe Wien and Homosexuelle Initiative Wien (HOSI).
- Visit the World YWCA Blog Women Leading Change
