The Center at CSW 2009

Why should reproductive rights be on the HIV/AIDS agenda? How do we hold governments accountable for the rights violations HIV-positive women suffer every day? The Center, drawing on its expertise in human rights law and reproductive healthcare, brought these issues to the table at the 2009 meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).  The meeting, which focused on the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on women, took place March 2 -13 in New York and gathered government officials and activists from around the world. The Center submitted an oral intervention to CSW members highlighting the wide range of human rights violations suffered by HIV-positive women seeking reproductive healthcare. We also helped to organize several lively and informative panel discussions:
Beyond Denial and Discomfort: Securing the Rights and Health of Women and Youth, Including Those Who Live with HIV
March 3, 2009, 1:15 PM, DHL Auditorium, United NationsSexual and reproductive rights are fundamental human rights, and comprehensive care for HIV positive people must include ensuring that these rights are guaranteed. Leading experts addressed how to accomplish this and current gaps.
Ending Abuse and Neglect: Accountability Strategies to Protect the Rights of Women Living with HIV/AIDS
March 4, 2009, Noon, Grum Room, UN Church Center, 777 UN PlazaFrom Kenya to Chile the reproductive rights of women living with HIV/AIDS are often ignored and many times violated. Reproductive rights and HIV/AIDS advocates discussed various strategies being developed at the national and international levels to protect the rights of women living with HIV/AIDS.  The Center also launched its new fact-finding report At Risk: Rights Violations of HIV-positive Women in Kenyan Health Facilities.

Human Rights, Maternal Mortality, and HIV/AIDS in Nigeria
March 6, 2009, 2 PM, Nigeria House, the Consulate General of Nigeria, 828 Second AvenueThis panel addressed the overlapping issues of HIV/AIDS, human rights, and maternal mortality and the ways in which each issue negatively affects the dire status of reproductive health in Nigeria. 
HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Justice
March 9, 2009, Noon, UN Church Center, 777 UN PlazaPanelists will discussed how human rights strategies from around the world can be applied to the U.S. to address intersections between prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and reproductive healthcare.