In Today's In-Brief:

From the Community to the Courtroom: Women, AIDS & Advocacy

From the Community to the Courtroom: Women, AIDS & Advocacy

The Center for Women & HIV Advocacy (CWHA) congratulates the graduating class of its 2009 Katrina Haslip Law Technical Assistance Program (LawTAP). We are deeply proud of their accomplishment, perseverance and leadership. This year’s class, of which 62 percent are black, 25 percent are Hispanic and 12 percent are white, represent CWHA’s most diverse class of graduates and mirrors the diversity of women infected by HIV in the U.S.

For six weeks, these courageous women met at HIV Law Project's office to share their experiences and learn about issues affecting other HIV-positive women. Through legal education, advocacy training and community outreach, CWHA and its LawTap program empowers HIV-positive women by giving them the tools to organize and the skills to educate each other, public officials, journalists and the general public on issues important to them, their families and the communities in which they live.

From government benefits, confidentiality issues and housing law to domestic violence and immigration, these women acquire the tools they need to become successful advocates for themselves and their communities. With HIV Law Project’s peer-based approach, women gain the confidence and skills they need to fight against stigma and discrimination.

How Serious Is HIV for Women?

Early in the epidemic, the HIV infection and AIDS were diagnosed for relatively few women. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Women of color are especially affected by HIV infection and AIDS. Statistics show that although Black women make up only 13 percent of the U.S. population, they represent 64 percent of women infected with HIV.

CWHA & the National AIDS Strategy

AIDS policy in the United States, however, is male-focused. According to a recent CDC study of more than 19,500 patients with HIV in 10 US cities, women were less likely than men to receive prescriptions for the most effective treatments for HIV infection.

Race/Ethnicity of Women with HIV/AIDS Diagnosed (2005)

Gender-related barriers to services like this prevent women from accessing HIV prevention, treatment and care. As a direct response, HIV Law Project targets its resources to traditionally underserved populations, particularly women and their families.

Before 1989, poor HIV-positive women desperately needed legal services but had nowhere to turn for help. HIV Law Project filled this critical gap and, today, partners with positive women through its Center for Women & HIV Advocacy (CWHA) to advance public policies that are responsive to their needs and enhance their lives as women living with HIV. In this regard, HIV Law Project monitors national policy as it impacts women with HIV, engages in education campaigns and produces policy reports on a range of domestic HIV health and human rights issues.

CWHA helps formulate and advocate for women-specific policies in the National AIDS Strategy while helping women find their voice and encouraging them to enter the policy arena.

What Can You Do Today to Help in the Fight for the Rights of Women Living with HIV/AIDS?

“HIV Law Project gave me a place to plug into advocacy on policy issues that matter most to me.”

Please consider making a generous year-end gift to HIV Law Project that will enable us to continue our collective fight for the rights and dignity of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Consider investing $20 for our 20 years of service, but know that a commitment of $100, $250 or even $500 will have a significant impact. We are grateful for any amount. Please donate now by clicking here.

There is nothing like the inspiration, hope and joy on the faces of HIV-positive

women who experience the empowerment of learning to protect their basic human rights. Making those special moments possible is our passion and mission.Please help us to continue empowering women, fighting for justice, and bringing down barriers by making a thoughtful investment today.

Thank you for your support of HIV-positive women and for being an important part of HIV Law Project.

*HIV Law Project is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are 100% tax-deductible.

To find out more about HIV Law Project work, please visit www.hivlawproject.org. HIV Law Project is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and qualifies for the maximum charitable contribution deduction by donors.

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HIV Law Project
15 Maiden Lane, 18th Floor | New York, NY 10038
Phone: 212 577 3001 | Fax: 212 577 3192
Email: news@hivlawproject.org
Web: http://hivlawproject.org

"The Center for Women and HIV Advocacy is and will always be committed to ensuring that positive women have a voice in their homes, in their communities and in the areas of local and national policy that affects their lives."

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“Because of HIV Law Project, I have learned to advocate for myself. CWHA helped me find a voice and encourage me to participate in the policy-making process.”