Gender & Hiv/Aids

Key International and Regional Commitments on Gender and HIV/AIDS

  • Millennium Development Goals (2000)
  • Declaration of Commitment of the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (2001)
  • Abuja Declaration on HIV/AIDS, TB and Other related Infectious Diseases (2001)
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979)
  • Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
  • Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (2003)
  • Gender and Development Declaration by Heads of State of SADC (1999)
  • SADC HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework and Plan of Action (2003-2007)
  • The Maseru Declaration on the Fight against HIV/AIDS in the SADC Region (2003)
  • High Level Committee on Programmes, Policy document on “Organizing the UN Response to Triple Threat of Food Insecurity, Weakened capacity for Governance and AIDS, particularly in Southern and Eastern Africa” (2003)
  • Platform for Action, Fourth World Conference on Women (1995)
  • Programme of Action, International Conference on Population and Development (1994)

Human Rights Accords and Commitments (Women & HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis)

  • 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW): Article 10 provides that States must take measures to ensure women’s equal rights with men to education Article 12 includes the requirement to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, access to health-care services, including those related to family planning Article 16 requires State Parties to eliminate discrimination against women in the context of marriage and family relations
  • 1993 World Conference on Human Rights, Declaration and Programme of Action (‘Vienna Declaration’) Article 41 recognises the importance of women’s rights to enjoy the highest standard of physical and mental health throughout their life span. Throughout the document there are significant statements relating to women’s human rights and violence against women
  • 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women Article 4 calls on States to condemn violence against women and not invoke and custom, tradition or religious consideration to avoid their obligations with respect to its elimination. States should pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating violence against women
  • 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), Programme of Action Article C, Chapter 7 addresses sexually transmitted diseases and the prevention of HIV from the perspective of women’s vulnerability tot he epidemic, setting out key recommendations for addressing HIV through reproductive health services
  • 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women (BEIJING) Declaration and Platform for Action Strategic objective C.3 is to “Undertake gender-sensitive initiatives that address sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health issues”
  • 2000 Millennium Declaration and Development Goals Goal 3 calls on nations to “Promote gender equality and empower women” Goal 6 is to “Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases”
  • 2001 UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS, Declaration of Commitment Article 14 of the Declaration stresses “that gender equality and the empowerment of women are fundamental elements in the reduction of the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV/AIDS”

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