Barcelona's Conference saw many prominent women take the lead in discussions. It also focused on the increase in women's vulnerability to HIV, and
in the role of gender issues affecting Africa and Asia. Rose de Freitas reports
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Women of power
Out of the 16,000 new HIV infections every day, 60 per cent are women.
Particularly young women. In some African and Asian regions, five to six
times more young women than young men are being infected.
At a special evening meeting on 11 July, 13 women of power debated their
role in the world's response to Aids. In bright robes, exquisite silk
saris, and polished pearls sat the First Ladies of Rwanda and Zambia,
the Princess of Cambodia and a former Canadian Prime Minister.
It wasn't just heads of state on the panel of 'Women Uniting Against Aids:
A Strategic Meeting'. There were leading ladies from UNICEF, the International
Community of Women Living with Aids (ICW), America's International Aids
Trust, Asia's special UN envoy, Argentina's Women's Research Foundation,
and the Mary Fisher CARE Fund.
Opening the discussion, UNICEF's Carol Bellamy described how "young
women are the face of HIV in Africa". She said: "Despite the
face of HIV being young, young women are often ignored. Age is a barrier.
These
young women are often blamed when they should be seen as great examples. Women who come forward to test should be supported as leaders."
