By Kudzaishe Chimonera
Leaders from countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have warned that declining international funding for HIV programmes could undermine years of progress in protecting women and girls from the epidemic.
The concern was raised during a high-level meeting between SADC gender ministers, UN Women and UNAIDS on the sidelines of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York City.
Leaders at the meeting discussed strategies to sustain HIV response programmes as global financial support shows signs of declining.
The discussions were held under the theme: “When Funding Retreats, Rights Recede: The Gendered Cost of Under-Investing in HIV, Reclaiming CSW Resolution 68/1 through sustaining investments in women, girls and HIV to achieve the equality and justice agenda.”
Participants warned that without renewed investment, progress in tackling HIV among women and girls in Southern Africa could stall or even reverse.
“The updated resolution 68/1, Women, the Girl Child and HIV and AIDS, underscores the urgent need to prioritise the health and rights of adolescent girls and young women in the context of the ongoing global AIDS pandemic and we need to be vigilant about this because if we do not, we would have failed our fellow sisters,” said the participants
Leaders also called for stronger accountability mechanisms to ensure that programmes targeting women and girls deliver tangible results.
“We need to ensure accountability and social accountability in delivering for women and girls in the HIV response. It is imperative to advance gender equality as central to ending AIDS and reaffirm the commitments made in the 2021 United Nations General Assembly Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS.”
Officials noted that adolescent girls and young women remain disproportionately affected by HIV due to entrenched social and economic inequalities.
“Adolescent girls and young women are still disproportionately affected by HIV due to various socio-economic factors, including gender inequalities, poverty and lack of access to education and healthcare. It is our task to see that access to healthcare systems is protected from new infections.”
Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, Deputy Executive Director for Normative Support, UN System Coordination and Programme Results at UN Women said the CSW Resolution 68/1 provides a roadmap for governments and stakeholders to strengthen protections for women and girls affected by HIV.
“Efforts must focus on closing the gender gap in HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, while also addressing the underlying social, economic, and structural factors that perpetuate gender-based discrimination, violence, and inequalities and increase the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV,” she said.
Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, called for stronger legal protections and policy reforms to address gender-based violence and HIV-related stigma.
“We must ensure legal and justice reforms in all our countries explicitly protect the rights, safety, and bodily autonomy of women, young women and adolescent girls,” she said.
She added that governments, regional bodies and development partners must strengthen partnerships to ensure effective implementation of CSW Resolution 68/1.
Regional leaders said sustained investment in gender equality and HIV programmes will be critical to protecting communities and maintaining progress towards ending AIDS in Southern Africa.
