7 March 2013 Kyiv, Ukraine For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE On the eve of March 8, the 57th session

of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women - the international body that deals exclusively with gender equality and advancement of women issues - has started in New York1. At the same time with this event the Women's Declaration is being discussed 2. The Positive Women, Association of Ukrainian women affected by HIV, expresses support to their international peers in signing the Declaration of commitment to the women-oriented approach in the fight against AIDS to HIV. The Declaration calls for global and national responses to HIV/AIDS, namely: Integrating HIV and sexual and reproductive health programs and services; Adopting a human rights framework that encompasses all people, especially women and girls; Engaging the meaningful participation of civil society, especially womens groups, human rights groups, and women living with HIV, in decision making processes; Investing in research, development, and market introduction of woman-initiated and controlled HIV/STI and pregnancy prevention methods, such as additional female condom products, microbicides, and vaccines.

In 2010, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) presented the Operational plan Action Framework: addressing women, girls, gender equality and HIV3, it was reviewed last time in December 20124. Ukraine has signed all international documents concerning equality and elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and men, and has committed to implement them. We call upon our government, civil society, international organizations and UN agencies to pay attention to the problems and the needs of women who are vulnerable to and affected by HIV epidemic in Ukraine in the preparation of the new National AIDS program for the period 20142018. We demand to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, women using drugs, women living with HIV, women in prison and women who are involved in commercial sex services, and to ensure access to prevention and treatment of HIV and drug abuse, reproductive health services, rehabilitation, resocialization and social and legal assistance.
1 2

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/index.html#about http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1350/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11068 3 http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/dataimport/pub/informationnote/2009/20091124_25th_pc b_genderoperationalplan_crp19_en.pdf 4 https://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/pcb/2012/20121207_CRP4_%20Mid_%20Term _%20Review_of_UNAIDS_Agenda_for_Women_and_Girls_Final_en.pdf

We believe that the participation of women affected by HIV in the planning, implementation and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programs is one of the conditions for successful response to HIV/AIDS epidemics in our country. Therefore, we will seek membership of the representatives of our organization at the National Council on TB and HIV and AIDS and others coordinating and policymaking bodies.
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Brief information ACO "Positive Women" was established in May 2011, officially registered in February 2013. The main purpose of the organization is to expand women's access to quality services for the prevention, care and treatment of HIV infection, women's involvement in the response to address the HIV epidemic in Ukraine, the involvement of women affected by HIV in all aspects of social life in order to guarantee respect for gender equality in measures to address the HIV epidemic. More information at http://women-union.org.ua/