UN women committed to investing in HIV-positive women

At the 10th International Congress on AIDS in Asia Pacific, UN Women indicated a need for a greater investment in HIV-positive women and advocated for the greater involvement of HIV-positive women leaders from countries including China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Moni Pizani, Representative and Regional Program Director of UN Women for East and Southeast Asia stated, “Investing in the leadership of these women is essential if countries in the region are to meet the ambitious new targets set by their leaders at the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS in June.”

UN Women has partnered with the ASEAN Foundation and UNAIDS to train women leaders and establish a mentorship program. Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Direct of UN Women, stated, “If we are to truly change the course of the epidemic and bring an end to this pandemic, we must take this opportunity to back our commitments with actions and resources and include the voices of HIV-positive women in the design of effective solutions.”

According to UN Women, 35 percent of women in Asia and the Pacific are currently living with HIV. Approximately 15.7 million women worldwide over age 15 were living with HIV and about 1.4 million of them became pregnant in 2009.