World YWCA to explore roles of women and men in caregiving in the context of HIV and AIDS at CSW
A World YWCA delegation is on the way to New York City to participate in the fifty-third session of the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from March 2-13, 2009 at the United Nations headquarters. This year’s main theme is “The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS”.
"World YWCA has participated at CSW since the start of the commission in 1948. As the leading international platform for advancing women’s human right, CSW continues to be an important event for the World YWCA , " said World YWCA President Susan Brennan who will lead the delegation of over 20 women and young women. “ World YWCA has successfully contributed to the agreed conclusions of the CSW in the past and hopes to do so again this year.”
The World YWCA has submitted a joint statement identifying five key areas UN member states must consider in order to effectively address HIV and AIDS and the impact caregiving has on women at different stages of their lives. The statement calls for member states to:
- Recognise and affirm community caregivers
- Reduce household poverty and the cost of care
- Increase quality of accessible funding for caregivers
- Properly resource health systems strengthening and the continuum of care
- Ensure women's land inheritance rights are upheld
“ With over 150 years worth of experience in providing care and support to women and young women, the World YWCA is well placed to advice and guide policy on caregiving, “ says World YWCA General Secretary Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda. “HIV and AIDS caregivers, a majority of whom are women and girls, are not officially recognised as an extension of the health care system, therefore their contributions are not mentioned nor included in the national accounts. Community based caregivers are also not provided with incentive or sustained support to enable them to continue with their unpaid work."
In partnership with YWCA Canada, the World YWCA will host ‘Beyond Shelter’ an interactive discussion on strategies to prevent violence against women. The World YWCA will also host a Youth Organisation Caucus in partnership with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) that will gather over the two weeks to ensure young women’s issues are reflected in the agreed conclusions of the CSW.
“The International Women’s Summit convened by the World YWCA in 2007 brought together many women caregivers. At the Summit, the women shared their experiences and how they could be supported to continue their work in the community. Gender equality and women’s empowerment will be difficult to attain unless policies and programmes are put in place to recognise and support women’s role in caregiving," says Gumbonzvanda.
World YWCA CSW Delegation
- Susan Brennan, World YWCA President
- Lady Comfort Ani, World YWCA Board member
- Jessica Notwell, World YWCA Board member
- Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, World YWCA General Secretary
- Kaburo Kobia, World YWCA Communications Director
- Juli Dugdale, World YWCA Programme Director for Asia and the Pacific
- Ar Ram Lee (YWCA Korea) Short term intern
- Margaret Nakakande (YWCA Uganda) Short term intern
- Jacqueline Mukamusana, YWCA Rwanda
- Alice Abok, YWCA of Kenya
- Caroline Maneno-Oketch, YWCA of Kenya
- YWCA of Nigeria delegation of 13 women
- Paulette Senior, YWCA Canada
- Ann Decter , YWCA Canada
- Pirjo-Liisa Penttinen, YWCA of Finland
- Caroline Lambert, YWCA Australia
- Erica Lewis, YWCA of Australia
- Kealey Healy ,YWCA USA
- Karen Mehra, World YWCA Volunteer
- Mildred Persinger, World YWCA Volunteer
- Mary Wolf, World YWCA Volunteer
- Doris Salah , World YWCA Volunteer
- Muna Kaldawi-Killingback, World YWCA Volunteer
- Sue Howarth, World YWCA Volunteer
