WOMEN & AIDS

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S SUMMIT:
Women’s Leadership making a Difference on HIV and AIDS
NAIROBI, KENYA
JULY 4-7

I couldn't sleep last night.
One of my best friends was on her way to Kenia, and was about 2 hours on the airport.
Such a pity I heard it too late, otherwise i would have gone to meet her there. Even if it would have been for a few minutes.

She was travelling half of the world to go to Nairobi to the first ever global conference on women and aids.

1500 women will attend the conference. All from different parts of the world, from different professions from different levels of different societies. All will take back what they learn and use it in their work: politics, health care, activism.
I look forward to the changes that will be made to inform people, protect them, give them more access to medication.

But I worry too.

So many people still condemn others for being HIV positive and/or having AIDS.
Even without knowing the person or what caused them to get HIV positive.

Not long ago I met a woman who was in tears because she was treated without ever form of respect because she was HIV positive.
She was one of the few people who got a blood transfusion with infected blood in a western country. It was just before all the blood was tested to prevent it from happening.
I'm not going into her life story, but I think it's time that people inform themselves a lot better.

A long time attention was given to prevent infection in the homosexual scenes, giving rise to the idea that infection is a problem of homosexuals.
But right now it's a problem of all of us, because infections don't look at race, sexuality,profession or area of the world.

Right now 80% of the new infections occur in young girls and women.

Men and women all over the world have the responsibility to take care of each other.
Not only to make protection available and get the pharmaceutical bussiness to make tests and medication available to those who can and those who can't pay, but also to make us aware that there should be respect between people, on all levels, and in each and every life.

My friend is an inspiring woman, and I'm sure she has a lot to offer there.
And she has a lot to bring back to us all.

HIV and AIDS are no longer "far from my bed" diseases.
We all have a responsibility to keep it from spreading.

In my life I can educate my children, and teach them to care for themselves and others, to stand up against preconceptions, and to reach out to those who haven't been as lucky as they are.
I can reach out to friends and unknown people, spread the word.

Have you considered what you can do in your life?

More information at the site of the conference.