HIV/AIDS and Gender: Fact Sheet Overview

Gender is an inextricable part of the HIV/AIDS equation. Young women are disproportionately vulnerable to infection; elderly women and young girls are disproportionately affected by the burden of care-giving in the epidemic's wake. Gender inequality and poor respect for the human rights of women and girls are key factors in the HIV/AIDS epidemic: both from the point of view of effectiveness and from the call for social justice, HIV/AIDS programming must take account of the gender dimensions of HIV/AIDS and its processes.

This resource pack sets out the latest information on HIV/AIDS and its impacts, and makes recommendations for effective programme and policy options.

The Operational Guide explains how gender inequality is driving the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the need for a rights-based approach both to improve responses to HIV/AIDS and to protect and promote the rights of subordinated groups. It provides a conceptual framework for programme implementation from a rights perspective, and carefully constructed tools and checklists to help development practitioners respond strategically to the gender-HIV/AIDS nexus.

The Fact Sheets aim to provide policy makers with concise information about gender related aspects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. They deal with core facts and issues in thematic areas and are underpinned by an analysis which clarifies how gender issues are fuelling the crisis. Each theme presents a self-contained set of issues and recommendations and many of the themes are interlinked. All of them are connected by a concern to promote a gender-enlightened and comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS and its impacts.