Monitoring and inclusion of VAW at the national level of the AIDS

response and the implementation of the UNAIDS agenda for women

and girls

All-Ukrainian Network of PLWHElla Lamakh

Olga Gvozdetska

Research Findings

The problem of gender based violence remains concealed both in public and private spheres which complicates conduction of the monitoring

VAW is not reviewed as one of the key factors that increased HIV spread at the national level

Research Findings (2)

Existing governmental data does not reflect actual status of VAW as a consequence of imperfection of the current legislation which does not qualifies violence as a separate type of delinquency of crime

Data on perpetrator, femicide and rape are available, though it does not describe the real situation

Research Findings (3)

HIV/AIDS official statistics available and demonstrated that:

during recent years feminization of the epidemic and increase of proportion of HIV-positive women is observed

intensification of sexual pathway proves the transfer of epidemic process from vulnerable groups and their partners to the “safe” population groups

The next step that important for NGO community: to start collaboration with authorities’ on recognizing links between Violence against Women and sexually transmitted infections including HIV.

Research Findings (4)

Official statistics on abortions and STIs does not reflect real numbers, as private healthcare facilities provide related services that are not reporting to the governmental authorities

Next step: to advocate for collection real statistics

Research Findings (5)

Current legislation does not promote protection of violence

Victim has to protect herself to protect her rights

Protection from sexual offence does not have effective mechanism in Ukraine: difficulties to prove, prejudice and gender stereotypes make the process of protection complicated and rarely successful

Research Findings (6)

Women of commercial sex and LGBT are closed communities for collecting data and conduction of researches; they avoid cooperation with police, healthcare providers and social services.

Besides, these groups suffer from most intensive stigma

Research Findings (7)

Services on reproductive health for HIV-positive women are limited due to stigmatization and discrimination from healthcare providers

Shelters and services for victims of domestic violence are available, though they are not available for victims of other kind of violence (sexual, psychological etc.)

Social services for PLWH are available only by donor’s funds and at the oblast level

Services are very limited for women and girls living in rural area

Research Findings (8)

Till 2011 Networks of women, including women living with HIV and victims of violence as well as women’s rights groups were not existed and thus were not involved into monitoring and development of the national or alternative CEDAW reports

All-Ukrainian Union of Women Infected and Affected by HIV was established in May 2011

Next step: enhance All-Ukrainian Union of Women infected and Affected by HIV and other women’s organizations work together and advocate for availability of gender sensitive services

Conclusions

We have strong gender and PLWH communities which are able to:– provide relevant information, education and services and – become a value partners for the government

International organizations and donors are also important partners for Ukrainian NGOs for VAW prevention in context of HIV as they present for us international standards and values

 

Thank you very much for your attention!