Summaries of HIV/AIDS Projects in Africa
Working with LWR Partners

Africa—Developing a Strategy on Women and HIV/AIDS

Partners: LWR and the Young Women’s Christian Association
(World YWCA)

As HIV/AIDS rates increase in Africa and in other parts of the world, women and girls are contracting the disease at a disproportionate rate as compared to men. Because of cultural and gender biases, women and girls are often denied access to information and services related to sexual health and rights such as inheritance and land tenure rights.

GOAL: To develop a strategy on HIV/AIDS through assessment planning, funding, and awareness building in selected African countries. The project aims to stop the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus, particularly among women and children by providing education about HIV/AIDS prevention and by destigmatizing the disease.

OBJECTIVES (Phase I):
LWR’s partner, the Young Women’s Christian Association (World YWCA) will:

• Assess current HIV/AIDS programs as well as initiate new programs that can be replicated as successful models.

• Educate member associations on the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its impact on women and children in order to stop the spread of the virus.

• Improve women’s access to information concerning their sexuality and their rights.

• Initiate capacity building and empowerment programs in order to strengthen women’s abilities to negotiate their rights.

Approved Project Support: $24,000 through 2002.

Projects : Burkina Faso Cameroon Ethiopia Kenya Liberia Madagascar Mali Namibia Niger Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone South Africa Tanzania Uganda Zimbabwe