European YWCAs tackle root causes of HIV at skills building workshop
“Stigma and discrimination directed towards people living with HIV and AIDS contributes to the inadequate response to the situation in Europe.’ This was the key message YWCA participants heard in the first day of the HIV skills building workshop in Albania.
The keynote address was presented by Nathalie Carter, Western European Coordinator of Global Youth Coalition on HIV and AIDS who spoke of the challenges faced by people working with issues regarding HIV and AIDS in Europe. “There is the belief that only injecting drug users are at risk of contracting HIV and the connection of HIV to taboo topics such as sex also creates a negative attitude towards the issue,“ said Carter.
Around 30 YWCA participants have gathered from around Europe to discuss the European reality to HIV and the socio economic impact in communities. In partnership with the World YWCA, UNAIDS Albania also addressed delegates about the importance effective leadership can play in the response to HIV and AIDS. “Leadership should be defined as enabling a group to engage together in the process of developing, sharing and moving into vision, and then living it out,’ said Dr. Zhaneta Shatri, Health Team Leader from UNAIDS Albania. Shatri described that vision as leadership that should strengthen community and regional participation and collaboration on a global level. “Leadership in response to HIV in Europe is about intensifying HIV prevention and making treatment equally accessible to everyone by fighting gender inequality. We need to overcome stigma and discrimination and also strengthen health systems and the health workforce, “ said Shatri.
Participants also had an opportunity to reflect on their own programmes on HIV and discuss the importance of gender responsive HIV programmes and activities that also include positive women. Many national associations in attendance agreed that stigma and discrimination around the issue of HIV in Europe often makes it challenging to implement YWCA programmes. “One of the outcomes of this workshop is that participants will be able to create linkages with positive women and positive women’s organisations. Partnerships can be made that strengthen and give more credibility to the YWCA work on HIV, “ said Natallia Aleksandrovich, World YWCA Programme Director for Europe.
The weeklong workshop will continue to explore advocacy strategies and processes in the response to HIV and AIDS while also tackling issues such as the importance of care and support activities with HIV programming.
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