HIV and AIDS Programmes

The YWCA has developed a solid base of programmes that respond to the pandemic at multiple levels. YWCAs are delivering reproductive health and HIV education to women and girls in over 70 countries

The YWCA of Belize

An innovative approach to bring HIV Education

HIV and AIDS has become a significant problem in Belize due to the ‘feminisation’ of new infections in the country. Statistics show women have an almost one to one ratio with men for new HIV infections. For women, the age group most affected are those between 15 and 29 years old. The YWCA of Belize decided to reach the young people of Belize in a dynamic way that used barbershops and beauty salons to help spread HIV prevention messages.

The YWCA of Belize's HIV and AIDS Education and Outreach programme adopted five youth friendly barbershops on the south side of Belize City. Combined, the barbershops and beauty salon services approximately 800 young people per week, between the ages of 14-25. Over 90 boxes of condoms were distributed to the barbershops and beauty salons in the first year of the programme that specialised in HIV prevention methods. The impact of the outreach work shows that 75% of the clients who visited the services said they learned something new about HIV.

The YWCA of Egypt

Confronting religious challenges

The YWCA of Egypt and the Council of Development affiliated to the Evangelical Church in Egypt are working in partnership to raise awareness on HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among women and girls in Egypt.

The two organisations convened a workshop for 30 women. The workshop addressed myths surrounding HIV and AIDS. “Through the help of a gynaecologist, the women received guidance on personal hygiene and information on the importance of using condoms.” According to UNICEF, 30% of married women in remote rural areas in Egypt have STIs. Although HIV prevalence is low in Egypt, lack of information on HIV and STIs in schools and public health facilities put young people and women at risk and stigma associated with HIV limits testing.

The YWCA of Georgia

Positive women reach out to communities in Georgia

In Georgia, woman living with HIV face a lot of stigma and discrimination. It was not until 2004 that reports of new infections begun to increase in Georgia; annual increase since then account for over half of all HIV infections. Although the prevalence remains low, analysts note that infections are likely to continue increasing. In response, the YWCA of Georgia has formed the Women’s Positive Group in Batumi, one of three cities recording increased infections. The group, made up of HIV-positive women and women affected by HIV, has reviewed national legislation on HIV and AIDS and participated in a review of the AIDS Bill in Georgia to ensure legal rights for HIV-positive women are addressed. The Women’s Positive Group holds informal meetings with community groups across Georgia to help educate people on HIV and AIDS and challenge stigma and discrimination. On these visits, members of the group also meet with local women living with HIV offering support and sharing experiences.

The group has had an invaluable impact on women living with HIV in Georgia. “The Women’s Positive Group is really acquainted with the problems positive women face. We get comments like, ‘It’s so nice you exist. I feel so free and have hope only because of this group,’” says Tamriko Mxatvari, General Secretary of the YWCA of Batumi, Georgia. “All the activities we do are based on the real problems that exist for women living with HIV.”

The YWCA of Salem India

Working with movie actor to discuss HIV prevention

In India, stigma and discrimination keep many people from visiting voluntary, counselling and testing services. Yet, UNAIDS estimates that at least 2.5 million people in India are living with HIV, about a quarter of which are women. The YWCA of Salem, India has designed a programme that challenges stigma and encourages women in the community to talk about HIV and AIDS. The programme has been implemented in 400 villages and is based on a popular movie actor whose caricature, Ranga, engages with the public and deliver an HIV-prevention message. The message is delivered from a branded van to over 400 villages, reaching children, women and men with literature on HIV in the local language. On the van are health care providers who speak with members of the community about HIV-prevention and demonstrate how to correctly use condoms. In addition, counselling and HIV testing services are provided from the van. Though initially hesitant, the response of the community has been tremendous The ongoing programme has so far reached 13,075 people—demystifying HIV and AIDS and challenging stigma in rural India.

The YWCA of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is dominated by Christian religious beliefs, cultural values and taboos on sex and sexuality that make addressing HIV and AIDS challenging. PNG’s linguistic diversity with over 800 languages and 95% of the population is rural and unable to access basic services and information, further compounds the situation. The YWCA of PNG is addressing these constraints through the media and trainings through established partnerships with faith
based organisations and specific groups like, young people not in school.

The YWCA of PNG is a pioneer in using radio as a tool for advocacy and awareness on reproductive sexual health and other social issues, promoting greater participation from the public and influential individuals representing all levels of the community. Women taking the lead in discussing highly tabooed issues on sex, and the use of condoms has contributed to the breakdown in cultural barriers and paved the way for open discussions on reproductive issues at all levels. Through peer education the YWCA of PNG has trained 100 pastors and 1000 couples, including urban and rural out of school youth with sexual and reproductive health training. The life skills training involves economic empowerment of women and girls and provides education on safe sex practices.

The YWCA of Peru

Working with HIV positive women

In 2007, the YWCA of Peru began a project in Lima, offering computer classes for young women with limited resources. Simultaneously the YWCA of Peru initiated communications with organisations of HIV positive women to work collaboratively towards increasing the leadership development of HIV positive women and to create these important linkages. HIV positive women were invited to participate in workshops, offering them a safe and enabling environment to meet. This safe environment, free of stigma and discrimination is critical especially in a country where stigma and discrimination against PLHIV is high. These workshops offer capacity building opportunities for the acquisition of computer skills that lead, not only to personal development skills, but also offer a space for sharing of experiences. With 4 computers and adapting to the schedules and the economic possibilities of the project 40 positive women were trained.

This project has given the opportunity to the positive women to access information and advances in HIV, to interchange experiences with their pairs at national level, access to clinical results in real time. The project has also them that it is possible to provide spaces where people living with or without HIV can come together in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

The second phase of the project, which has started in 2008, also includes workshops on self- esteem and sexuality for the participants. Women trained in the first phase are helping as mentors to train the new participants.

The YWCA of Rwanda

The ‘Giving Hope’ program

YWCA of Rwanda works with orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), through a unique methodology of empowering communities. Communities are given skills on HIV prevention, nutrition, hygiene, reproductive health, child right, gender, project design and management, etc. In addition to the trainings, Giving Hope support OVC in formal and informal education, health, income generating activities, such as: small businesses, agriculture and animal husbandry. Through working groups based on neighbourhood and which includes an adult mentor, psychosocial support, mutual help and mutual fund help OVC to get out of isolation, stigma and discrimination.

So far, 14299 OVC within 4679 Households organised into 352 working groups, have been reached by the program. 84 peer educators were trained in youth- oriented and youth-led HIV and AIDS, child rights education and advocacy. More than 5 000 youth were reached with HIV and AIDS and child right messages.