Women Won’t Wait
ActionAid is a member of Women Won’t Wait, a new coalition of organisations committed to ending violence against women and girls, and to stopping the spread of HIV and AIDS.
Women Won’t Wait aims to highlight the links between the twin pandemics of violence against women and the spread of the HIV virus.
In their report, ‘Show us the Money’ (see links on the right), Women Won’t Wait argue that not enough is being done to tackle violence against women, particularly as it links with HIV and AIDS.
They are calling for changes in the policies and programmes of governments and international donors to address this deadly problem.
In particular, they call for governments to:
- Develop a clear policy framework that prioritises violence against women, HIV and AIDS and the links between them.
- Put pressure on political leaders at national level to take violence against women seriously – by itself and as part of effective HIV and AIDS programmes.
To grapple with both epidemics, we need political leadership, as well as advances in science, medicine and services.
On International Women’s Day in March 2007, Hilary Benn, the International Development Minister at that time, welcomed the Women Won’t Wait report, saying:
‘If there were one thing that… I could change, one thing that I think would have the longest and most lasting effect on development, it would be to put an end, an immediate end, to all forms of violence against women.
‘The report…says that in DFID we need to do more and I have come here tonight to say I agree with you. We do need to do more and we’ll look carefully at the recommendations you have made.’
photo : ©Gideon Mendel/ Corbis/ ActionAid
Women Won't Wait's report
Show us the Money: Is violence against women on the HIV and AIDS donor agenda?
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