Bangkok--14 Jul--UNISBKK
UNIFEM is publishing a book entitled “Diamonds: Stories of Women from the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV” as part of its mandate to empower positive women leaders through capacity building of positive women’s networks.
The book and its accompanying documentary film on four of the women will be previewed at 6 p.m. tonight at the Dusit Thani hotel (946 Rama IV Road, Bangkok). Rattana, an HIV-positive woman leader from Northeast Thailand featured in the book, will be on hand to discuss her own experiences.
An increasing number of women living with HIV are overcoming enormous challenges to become leaders and advocates involved in the AIDS response, from the local level to around the world. They are extremely passionate about their desire to alter the status quo, improve HIV prevention and care and reduce AIDS-related discrimination; yet these inspirational leaders are insufficiently acknowledged in the public sphere. Diamonds focuses on the personal narratives of nine women and one girl who are all HIV-positive and have risen above the challenges ascribed by their status to become leaders in their communities.
“When I talked about the experiences I had gone through with my children, I could see that all the mothers were crying. It really touched them. I thought, my story is powerful. I can use it to change people’s attitudes,” says Maura, one of the women featured in Diamonds. The book plots the key moments in the lives of these women, from diagnosis to the realization that their voices could be part of the change, highlighting the process each woman went through to emerge as an advocate for individuals living with HIV and a powerful voice in the global dialogue on AIDS.
Dr. Jean D’Cunha, Regional Program Director of UNIFEM East and Southeast Asia, says in her foreword to the book, “Diamonds foregrounds the link between gender-based discrimination, violence and HIV/AIDS. Unless iniquitous power equations, whether between men and women, adults and children, or in same sex relations, are transformed into equal relationships marked by respect and dignity, the pandemic, especially its ‘feminine face,’ will continue unabated.”
Following Dr. D’Cunha’s welcome address. Mr. Prasada Rao, Director of the Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific at UNAIDS, will speak on the importance of positive women leaders in Asia-Pacific, and Frika Chia of the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+) will offer her insight on the process of creating Diamonds as a completely collaborative venture with women living with HIV.
UNIFEM is the women’s fund at the United Nations. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies that promote women’s human rights, political participation and economic security. UNIFEM works in partnership with UN organisations, governments and non-governmental organisations and networks to promote gender equality. It links women’s issues and concerns to national, regional and global agendas by fostering collaboration, and providing technical expertise on gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment strategies.
For Media Inquiries please contact:
Supapohn Kanwerayotin, Communications Officer Supapohn.kanwerayotin[at]unifem.org
02.288.2589; 081.428.9897
Mika Mansukhani, Communications Specialist Mika.mansukhani[at]unifem.org 02.288.2216; 084.652.9197.