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Put Women & Girls at the Top of Pelosi's Agenda
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi will soon become the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives! Join us in urging Congresswoman Pelosi (D-CA) to place the U.S. at the forefront of the international fight against HIV/AIDS. Fill out the form below to send your email asking Nancy Pelosi to put protecting women and girls around the world from HIV/AIDS at the top of her new agenda.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , I am writing to urge you to use your new role to help protect women and girls around the world from HIV/AIDS. As you know, women and girls are increasingly burdened by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Social and biological factors make women far more vulnerable to the virus than men. In the hardest hit countries, 5-6 young women are infected for every one young man. As the new Speaker of the House, I ask you to commit to making the U.S. a world leader in working to end violence against women, promote gender equity, and ensure universal access to prevention, treatment, and support for women and girls living with or threatened by HIV/AIDS. I know that you have always been a strong advocate for women's issues and the fight against HIV/AIDS, and I hope that I can count on you to continue your work on these issues. Thank you for your time and congratulations on your new position!
Sincerely, |
Campaign Launched: |
| Background Information |
The face of HIV/AIDS is increasingly female. Numerous biological and social factors make women far more vulnerable to the virus than men. More than half of all people living with HIV/AIDS today are women. In the hardest hit countries, five or six girls between the ages of 15-24 are infected for every one boy.
The link between women's status and the HIV/AIDS pandemic is finally gaining widespread recognition. From Microsoft founder and philanthropist, Bill Gates, to Stephen Lewis, the U.N.'s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, world leaders and public health advocates are calling for changes in the way societies treat women and girls.
"Gender inequality is driving the [HIV/AIDS] pandemic, and we will never subdue the gruesome force of AIDS until the rights of women become paramount in the struggle."
- Stephen Lewis, U.N. Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa
The goals of the Access=Life campaign include ending violence against women, promoting gender equity, and calling for universal access to prevention, treatment and support for women and girls living with or threatened by HIV/AIDS.
More Information
Browse the links below for more information on HIV/AIDS and the recent feminization of the AIDS crisis.
- The Changed Face of AIDS, San Francisco Chronicle
- The Female Face of AIDS, UNICEF
- AIDS Taking on a Female Face, WebMD
- XVI International AIDS Conference (official web site)
- Integrate Sexual Health Services, a Letter to the Editor by Carmen Barroso, Regional director, IPPF/WHR
Browse the links below for articles and reports about the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto.
- International AIDS Conference, San Francisco Chronicle
- AIDS: Women and Children in Brunt of Pandemic, Agence France-Presse
- AIDS: Time to Deliver, Lewis Says, The Toronto Star
- Report on the Conference, IPPF/WHR
