ICW Current Activities

Here we mention some of our main activities. If you want to find out more about our work then you can sign up for our email updates. Just contact emmaImageicw.org.

ICW E-News:

Global Networking and advocacy

ICW's greatest achievement has been to reach isolated women living with HIV/AIDS and, through support, education and training, empower them to be involved in areas of service monitoring and policy development that affects their lives and the lives of their children and family. ICW has an excellent record of successful, productive and effective trainings and meetings for positive women. ICW's collaborative work with other organisations such as the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+), the International AIDS Society (IAS), International Council of AIDS Service Organisations (ICASO), UNAIDS, and various international NGOs, has continued and expanded. ICW's work in these fora focussed attention on HIV positive women across the world.

ICW is the co-convening agency (with WHO) for the treatment and care arm of the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS. The Global Coalition on Women and AIDS is an initiative made up of activists, government representatives, and community workers. Its efforts will focus on preventing new HIV infections among women and girls, promoting equal access to HIV care and treatment, accelerating research on microbicides, protecting women's property and inheritance rights andreducing violence against women.

Examples of global advocacy and networking:

 

ICW AT UNGASS 2008

The ICW East Africa Regional Coordinator represented ICW and ITPC on the Civil Society Task Force (CSTF) for the High Level meeting on HIV & AIDS that took place in New York in June 2008 other ICW staff and members also attended this important event. Among the tasks that the Coordinator participated in were to select speakers for the HLM and the Civil Society Hearing, providing support to the speakers for the sessions on women and girls and HIV related travel restriction and also participating in drawing up a programme for the civil society hearing. At this meeting lobbying and advocating for issues that impact on women was done e.g. some of the topics during the civil society hearing were areas that ICW advocates for, for example, access to treatment for women and girls. We were privileged to have ICW speakers both at the Civil Society hearing and during the panels e.g. Violeta Ross, Jennifer Gatsi Mallet, Gcebile Ndlovu, Dr. Lydia Mungherera and many more others. ICW developed an issues paper on women and girls that was used by the speakers to develop their speeches and in addition, the copies were circulated during the HLM. ICW’s presence at the HLM was felt through the speakers, the members’ involvement at the Civil Society Hearing, caucus meetings and generally in all the sessions. ICW as an organisation needs to begin planning now for the involvement of women living with HIV in future HLM so that we are able to support more women to participate at the different levels e.g. planning meetings at the country level and ensuring ICW’s presence at all levels.

ICW SEEKS TO INFLUENCE UNAIDS GENDER GUIDANCE
Our International Advocacy Officer on ACTS, Beri Hull, attended the UNAIDS PCB meeting in April where the UNAIDS gender guidance were presented. The PCB made the decision to work on these guidelines in June 2006. Given that the PCB decision expressively called for these guidelines in response to the growing feminization of the epidemic, ICW registered our concern that in the last draft of the guidance, inequality and inequity between women and men was being conflated with discrimination against sexual minorities. In our feedback to UNAIDS we stated our belief that merging the guidelines for these two sets of populations weakens the guidance for each and thereby does a disservice to both. In addition, it ignores the core sentiment of the decisions taken at the PCB, which was to develop something that would specifically offer a tool to help alleviate the devastating impact of policies that are blind to the needs of women and girls.

Regional Development and Networking

  • Regional networking, capacity building, policy and advocacy through the setting up of regional programmes.

Gcebile Ndlovu started work in April 2004 as Southern African Regional Coordinator based in Swaziland. Lillian Mworeko took up the post of East Africa Regional Coordinator in February 2005, based in Uganda.  Anandi Yuvraj joined us as Asia Pacific Regional Coordinatorin July 2008.

Examples of recent regional planning:

  • An East Africa regional strategic planning meeting was held in Kampala in February 2008 which brought together staff and members from Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. The meeting was an opportunity to explore regional development in East Africa and establish a Regional Advisory Committee. Terms of reference were drawn up and the Committee is currently comprised of the chairs of the three currently existing country level Member Committees, in anticipation of the participation of representatives from other countries in the region in due course. Members at the planning meeting began to draft strategic goals to address these issues, focusing on capacity building, advocacy, meaningful involvement of women living with HIV and AIDS, creating partnerships and linkages, and regional development of the network, to be able to address identified regional priority issues of ACTS, SRHR, GIPA, economic empowerment, and stigma and discrimination, and the two cross-cutting themes of young women and violence against women.

  • ICW’s Southern Africa regional coordinator Gcebile Ndlovu and International Steering Committee member Lynde Francis hosted a three-day regional meeting in Johannesburg in August 2007 to explore issues affecting women living with HIV in the region, to explore models of organising and operationalising ICW Southern Africa at the national and regional level, and to develop a regional advocacy agenda and strategic plan. The meeting brought together ICW representatives from nine countries in the region marks a significant milestone in the move towards regional autonomy in Southern Africa, which the regional office has been working towards since its establishment and development, in line with ICW’s current International Strategic Plan. The meeting elected a new young woman ISC member from Southern Africa (Gledcia from Mozambique); established an interim regional steering committee; and drafted a strategic plan for the region.

For specific projects see below.

Participation in International Conferences

ICW's participation in international and national conferences, meetings, and global advocacy projects is a vital part of the organisation's work. Whether as co-organisers of conferences, or as individuals representing ICW at other events, ICW continuously advocates for HIV positive women's rights and brings their concerns to national and international arenas.

POSITIVE WOMEN'S FORUM, NAIROBI, 2007
ICW is proud to have co-organised (with YWCA) the first day of the International Women's Summit (IWS) in Nairobi - a Positive Women's Forum for women living with HIV. Nearly 2000 women attending the IWS, up to a quarter were living with HIV and for once the voices and presence of positive women were felt by all. The PWF provided an opportunity for positive women to explore issues around young women, sexuality, participation, leadership, violence, access to care, treatment and support, economic (in)equality, gender, and the human rights of women and girls living with HIV and AIDS – including their sexual and reproductive rights. ICW also collaborated with allies Athena, Voices of positive Women, and Blueprint, to bring about the Women's Networking Zone in the “Sokoni” (market place) area, and one of a series of ‘Town Hall’ events taking place in different locations in Nairobi, which allowed for the participation of several hundred local women living with HIV who were unable to attend the conference.

ICW AT LIVING 2008
ICW is one of the partners of the Living Partnership, which organised the Living 2008 conference for people living with HIV. The conference brought together 327 people living with HIV to discuss four themes: criminalisation, sexual and reproductive rights, access to care, treatment and support, and positive prevention, over the course of two days. Having this opportunity to meet, discuss and debate helped many of us to prepare for the main International AIDS Conference. In the run up to Living, there was a pre-consultation, which ICW membersmembers' responses to the pre-consultation fed into the development of the programme and discussions at the Living, and were referred to frequently. They also fed into plenary sessions at the main conference. This was the first Living Conference in a number of years, and it made a welcome return to the conference calendar.

ICW AT THE INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE, MEXICO 2008
ICW is a co-sponsor of the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. This huge conference of well over 25,000 people offered wonderful opportunities to network and spread the word about HIV positive women’s concerns. We highlighted ICW’s peace initiative at our Satellite and Press Conference - A campaign initiated by ICW Latina. Called ‘2011 – A Year of Peace as a chance to stop AIDS, the campaign has been aided by ICW International Steering Committee member and long-time AIDS advocate, Patricia Perez’s nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize. ICW also highlighted the following issues:

Many of our members spoke on these areas and others such as ACTS and SRHR in the main conference and in the Global Village. In the latter arena we helped organize and run sessions in the People Living with HIV Networking Zone with GNP+ and the Women’s Networking Zone (WNZ) with the Athena Network and other women’s rights organizations. The ICW Booth in the Global Village gave a chance for ICW members to meet, stay in touch with what is happening of interest to HIV positive women at the conference, and collect new ICW materials. Issue 42 of the Newsletter will feature highlights.

Supporting international networking of HIV positive women

E-forum for ICW members: This started in February 2005. All ICW members with access to email are warmly invited to join. The e-forum is a useful way for ICW members around the world to share their work and to feed back on thematic issues. The e-forum discussions provide a consultation and communication mechanism for members, and feed into ICW’s policy submissions and advocacy work.

ICW News: Edited by Sue O’Sullivan.

Website: We have has continued to keep the website up to date with postings from ICW members, staff and trustees, and regular additions of new publications and links. The website continues to get a very high hit-rate and consistently good feedback from readers.

New and existing members: Carmen continues to process new ICW membership applications (entering information into the membership database, preparing and sending new member packs), to update membership records with change of address or other data, and to respond to letters and emails received from existing members.

Face-to-face meetings and events: Wherever possible ICW seeks to bring members together at international, regional and national events. Whether it is trying to secure support for members to attend the International AIDS Conferences or bringing together our members for regional ICW planning meetings or national skills building workshops we know that our members benefit by sharing experiences face-to-face.

Current projects

ENDING THE FORCED AND COERCED STERILISATION OF HIV POSITIVE WOMEN IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
After hearing reports from our members of coerced sterilisations and other reproductive rights violations of HIV positive women in Southern Africa ICW trained women from Swaziland, South Africa and Namibia on how to document such abuses with the aim of changing the legal and political environment to better support their rights. The Namibia forced sterilization project was initiated when 3 of the 30 participants of an ICW advocacy training project with young HIV positive women, stated that they had been sterilized with out their informed consent. This alarming fact initiated a series of focus groups and interviews that did in fact suggest that HIV positive women were being coerced or forced into sterilization by hospital staff in Namibia. ICW realized that the forced sterilization was part of a broader range of discriminations faced by HIV positive women in reproductive health services and particularly against positive women who are pregnant or desire children. Of the research and education programs regarding sterilization that ICW has engaged in thus far 40 out of the 230 HIV positive women participating have indicated they were subjected to forced or coerced sterilisation. Thirteen of the 40 cases have been taken up for possible litigation by the Legal Aid Centre (LAC) in Namibia and all 40 cases have been presented to the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Petrina Haingura, by the ICW, LAC and the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC). We have not heard anything back from the Deputy Minister so far but are awaiting the promised response. Read more at: http://www.icw.org/node/381

HIV POSITIVE WOMEN MONITORING COMMITMENT TO THEIR RIGHTS

ICW is shortly to train HIV positive women to use our monitoring tool in Uganda, Lesotho and South Africa. The project, funded by Comic Relief and the Bethany Trust in Uganda and South Africa, offers a further opportunity to bring diverse groups together - HIV positive women, health providers and government officials - and to aid the latter two groups to think critically about the impact of their actions on HIV positive women. It also provides a valuable opportunity to reduce the isolation faced by the women living with HIV and AIDS, as well as being a chance to highlight issues that often get sidelined in work on HIV. Already the tool has been adapted for a number of research and monitoring programmes, for example:

  • Sexual and reproductive rights in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana;
  • Access to care, treatment and support in Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya;
  • Training on monitoring and advocacy with HIV positive Swazi women.

Please get in touch with ICW if you would like copies of reports from these programmes.

DEVELOPING ADVOCACY SKILLS OF YOUNG POSITIVE WOMEN
The latest in ICW's programme for young positive women brought together 30 young HIV positive women from the 13 regions of Namibia, in Windhoek, 21-25th of January 2008. Organised by ICW the workshop aimed to develop young HIV positive women’s awareness of their rights and their skills to realise those same rights through advocacy. The women were provided a space to exchange their personal experiences as young, HIV positive women living in Namibia today. On the final day of the workshop, once the women had improved their advocacy skills, they were given a unique opportunity to speak directly to policymakers and ask them what they and the government were doing to address their rights. The young women called for the following:

  • Research by and for HIV positive young women on our experiences of accessing rights and health, what service are available for us and what policies exist that address our concerns;
  • More information on the specific health issues and rights of young HIV positive women and raise awareness of our rights across Namibia;
  • Increase and improve services and policies for HIV positive young women;
  • Increase our involvement in decision-making processes. This will involve building our skills and our solidarity as young HIV positive women;
  • Ensure that enough resources are allocated to realise our goals.

This workshop was followed by other training workshops on issues such as advocacy and monitoring and evaluation. At the MandE workshop the young women developed a Charter which outlines a call for action to donors, the Namibian government and donors. The women also held a discussion about their economic opportunities.


Information on the whole YWD programme

 

ADVANCING WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY ON HIV
This exciting initiative aims to achieve greater and more meaningful participation of women, particularly women living with HIV/AIDS, in decision-making at all levels to ensure programs, policies and funding respond to the unique impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls. The initiative consists of two complementary components—the training component implemented by CEDPA and its partners, the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS, the International Center for Research on Women, and the National Minority AIDS Council and the small grants program implemented through the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, UNAIDS. In March, 2007, women from Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Latin America and the Caribbean, including 11 ICW members, gathered to develop the regional training curricula. Another 20 women advocates, many of whom are ICW members, from around the world took part in the first training in Washington DC, June 2007. The focus of this first workshop was on global advocacy and ICW ran three sessions on GIPA, sexual rights and reproductive rights (outlines available).

As the programme moves into its second year, ICW and consortium partners are celebrating the completion of a third and fourth workshop pertaining to this programme. The Africa Regional Workshop, the third in this workshop series, brought together 23 women from 5 African countries – South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana – for a three-week workshop in Nairobi. Facilitators and workshop coordinators included staff from CEDPA, ICW and ICRW, and 2 Master Trainers – whose role in the programme is to ensure that the regional context and regional-specific HIV and AIDS-related issues and priorities are reflected in the programme – including ICW staffAnne Ntombela. The fourth workshop under this programme was an Africa Country workshop held in Nigeria this September. ICW took the opportunity to bring 35 ICW members from Nigeria to a meeting with participants to plan ICW activities in the country. Planning has also already started for the Asia Regional Workshop which will be held early in 2009.

TACKLING STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HIV POSITIVE PEOPLE
Over the last few years, ICW and GNP+ have been working in collaboration with the International Planned Parenthood Association (IPPF) and UNAIDS, to develop an index to measure the stigma and discrimination experienced by People Living with HIV. The People Living with HIV (PLHIV) Stigma Index is now ready for use and implementation by networks of people living with HIV around the world. It is anticipated that the Index will increase our understanding of how stigma and discrimination is experienced by HIV-positive people and that the evidence gained will contribute to shaping future programmatic interventions and policy related to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. In preparation for country level roll-out processes in other regions, the project partners have convened a series of regional workshops to introduce the Index to representatives from networks and organisations of people living with HIV from different countries within each region. The first country level implementation of the Index is currently underway in the Dominican Republic. ICW staff and members have been involved in each of these workshops, either as co-facilitators or as participants. More information available at: www.stigmaindex.org.

TACKLING HIV AND TB IN EAST AFRICA
ICW entered into a partnership with Treatment Action Group (TAG) to implement African activities of TAG’s TB/HIV project from May 2007 – 31 December 2008. The main objective of the project is to empower, train, and support African TB/HIV community advocates, community-based HIV activist organizations, and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) networks to incorporate TB/HIV priorities into their advocacy work and to accomplish the goals related to scale-up of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment towards universal access by 2010. Achievements include:

  • Participation in the writing and review of a TB/HIV Advocacy Tool kit.
  • TB/HIV Africa advocacy workshop in Uganda from the 25th – 28th Sept.2007.
  • Francophone Advocacy Meeting, Ivory Coast from Jan 5th – 9th 2008.
  • Participation in regional and international meetings to advocate for project aims.
SMALL GRANTS FOR POSITIVE WOMEN IN AFRICA

Women and Children’s Collaborative Fund for Treatment Literacy in Africa and ICW East Africa are coordinating the women and families project to review proposal to fund small grassroots organisations. Twenty-two grassroots organizations received funding in the first round and the second-round is currently taking place.

ICW organized a Treatment Literacy workshop for 2007/8 grantees of the Collaborative Fund for Women and Families in Africa. The workshop was held in Johannesburg South Africa at Birchwood hotel from 21st - 24th May 2008 and was attended by seventeen grantees all women representing Community Based Organizations (CBOs) from African Francophone and Anglophone countries. The training was facilitated by a team from the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA), and Community Health Media Trust (CHMT). The objective of the workshop was to enhance grantees’ knowledge in HIV treatment literacy and preparedness to enable them to implement their projects effectively. Participants were able to make some tentative plans of actions through which they would share with their members the knowledge and skills that they acquired from the trainings. With the Grantee site visits and monitoring visits that are planned to take place in the next quarter, it is hoped that support to grantees will increase, the secretariat will get more insight and understanding of the projects funded and interact more with the beneficiaries. This will also enable the secretariat provide technical support and guidance to enable the grantees to accomplish the goals and objectives of their projects.

MICROBICIDES CAMPAIGN

Promise Mthembu began an involvement in this important area of work which will have a great impact on HIV positive women's sexual and reproductive lives. As a member of the Global Campaign for Microbicides, ICW has participated and presented papers on several Microbicides international meetings. ICW has successfully profiled and raised awareness of a need for Microbicides researchers, biomedical and social scientists researchers, and advocates to consider the special needs of HIV positive women in researching, developing, and advocating for Microbicides. ICW also has representation on the European and UK/Ireland branches of the Campaign.

UK projects

HIV POSITIVE WOMEN AND ASYLUM
ICW has recently entered into a partnership with Positively Women and Asylum Aid. Whilst primarily focusing on the UK, this project seeks to provide support for HIV positive women who are seeking or who have sought asylum. ICW’s main role will be on exploring sources of support in the country of origin and establishing links for support and advice for those women whose asylum claims fail or choose to return.

POZ-FEM – THE UK’S FIRST NETWORK OF WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV
Regional workshops have been held in Brighton, Liverpool and Edinburgh to present the network and recruit regional coordinators to volunteer to take the network forward. Further workshops were held in Southampton and Glasgow and the first of a series of training workshops was held in December 2006. It brought together all regional coordinators and focused on the role of the coordinators, examining the terms of reference, carrying out a skills inventory, and looking at basic advocacy, facilitation and counselling skills. This workshop will include aneeds assessment which will then inform the programme of training over the next two years.

 

In 2008 the network launched a Vision Paper which came about as a result of PozFem UK’s involvement in the Strategy Review of the UK’s National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV, and accompanies our formal input to that process. However, it has far wider relevance. It documents concerns and recommendations raised by members of PozFem UK on the basis of our personal experiences and illustrates these with quotes from PozFem UK meetings, as well as ICW and Positively Women’s publications. We hope it will serve as a useful advocacy tool for HIV positive women around the UK. - http://www.icw.org/files/Pozfem%20VP%20Web%20Links.pdf

Latina America

ICW PRESENTS ITS CAMPAIGN ‘MORE PEACE LESS AIDS’ TO THE UNITED NATIONS DELEGATES OF THE LATIN AMERICAN REGION
Dr Jorge Arguello, Argentine Ambassador to the UN, chaired a meeting attended by ambassadors and civil servants of ten countries from the region. Representatives of the UN from Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, Nicaragua, Panama, Uruguay, Mexico and Honduras met to share ideas and coordinate a common strategy on the proposal put forward by Patricia Perez of Argentina, Arely Cano of Nicaragua and Ruth Linares of Costa Rica, relating to the global campaign ‘More Peace Less AIDS’ launched by ICW Latina. Dr Arguello used this meeting to ratify his complete support of providing assistance to ICW Latina and ensuring the success of the activities outlined in the campaign ‘More Peace Less Aids’. The Peace campaign was also presented at ICW’s press conference at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico.

PATRICIA PEREZ, VICEPRESIDENT OF THE COALITION OF FIRST LADIES

The Latin American Coalition of First Ladies and Women Leaders celebrated, in Mexico prior to the XVII International AIDS Conference, its fifth meeting since its creation in 2006, under the slogan ‘Preventing the feminisation of the epidemic’. Participating in the meeting were the president of the coalition Xiomara Castro de Zelaya from Honduras, Margarita Zavala from Mexico, Lina Moreno de Uribe from Colombia and Surinam and Anita Maria Venetiaan-Vanenburg, together with 307 government leaders, UN officials from 22 countries in the region, and the national representatives of ICW Latina. The Coalition released an eleven point document among those present who are committed to creating in society a culture of non-violence against women in a human rights framework, ratifying ICW’s campaign ‘More Peace, Less AIDS’ to reduce the impact that HIV / AIDS has on women. Also seeking to promote the participation of women, girls and adolescents living with HIV / AIDS, with a focus on women who are members of ICW Latina, and in line with the principle of MIPA (Meaningful Involvement of People living with HIV / AIDS).

LAUNCH OF BOOK AND VIDEO ABOUT ICW AND THE LIVES OF THIRTY HIV POSTIVE WOMEN
The books ‘And I didn’t even cry’ and ‘Code for Life; history of women united against AIDS’, and the CD ‘Women for life’ were launched in the Lunario of the Mexican National Auditorium in the presence of Teresa Rodriguez, regional director of UNIFEM, Vivian Lopez, UNICEF representative, Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, first lady of Honduras, Patricia Perez, Marina Soto and Arely Cano, members of the regional secretariat of ICW Latina, and Mario Bronfman of the Ford Foundation. ‘Code for Life’ brings together testimonies, experiences and the thoughts of Latin American women together with many others from Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania, and in turn aims to be a political tool, because the AIDS problem is political, points out the text produced by ICW. The Honduran girl and member of ICW, Keren, whose testimony to life is included in ‘And I didn’t even cry’, was at the presentation and gave her thanks to ICW Latina for being with her since she was 9 years old and to the First Lady of Honduras for her support. The singer Ricardo Montaner, UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador, sent a message of support to ICW, and at the close of the event those present, holding hands, listened to the song ‘Women for life’, ICW Latina’s anthem, played by Giannina Giunta, Daniela Mercury, Adrián Goizueta and Adrián Barilari. Video available at www.icw.org. For copies of the book contact ICW Latina.

Resources for ICW members on policy and advocacy

  • We are building up an advocacy resource, which is available on line. This Advocacy Pack includes information on different policy processes (such as the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, the 3 by 5, the Three Ones, and so on); positive women’s involvement in these; strategies positive women have used to ensure their meaningful involvement and impact.
  • Briefings and journal articles. ICW's Communications and Research Officer works closely with ICW’s Global Advocacy Officers, Regional Coordinators, ISO staff, trustees and members to produce articles for journals, or written statements for activists and policy makers, which aim to influence policy and practice, and raise awareness of positive women’s issues globally. These include articles for Novib’s newsletter, Equanet News and the Commonwealth Health Ministers' Reference Book, the South African Health Review and a background paper for WHO.

Media

Our Fundraising Officer is coordinating the development of ICW contacts with the media in the UK, as a vital element in raising awareness of ICW and the issues we work on, with a view to long term opportunities for fundraising in the UK.

Partnership development

ICW is developing ICW’s partnerships, including funding partnerships and advocacy partnerships.

Funding partnerships:

Our Fundraising Officer, with support from ICW staff, continuously liaises and builds relationships with current and prospective donors.

She advises on funding opportunities, and coordinates and supports the preparation and submission of proposals and budgets. She also manages the funding contracts we have with current donors, and ensures timely and accurate narrative and financial reporting.

Advocacy partnerships:

ISO staff have developed relationships with allied organisations including:

Two examples:

ATHENA network

ICW is a founding member of ATHENA, a network on organisations and individuals that came together in 2005 to constitute a new leadership force in the response to HIV and AIDS globally. The network recognises the imperative of addressing gender inequalities and gender-related rights violations in response to the pandemic through the voices of women and girls most affected by HIV and AIDS. The Network builds upon the work of individuals and entities who have been committed to this challenge for years, and intends to use coordinated, collective action to advance their efforts further. ATHENA is collaborating with ICW on the project Bringing Women Closer to Their Rights

YWCA partnership /collaboration (Supported by Norwegian Church Aid)

In 2004, ICW entered into a formal partnership with the World YWCA, when a YWCA member from Zimbabwe was selected for an internship in the London International Support Office (ISO) of ICW. The internship lasted two years, and helped to strengthen collaborations between ICW and the YWCA, and also strengthen and advance ICW’s mobilisation of young women activists living with HIV. During the second year of this programme, an ICW young woman member was selected to carry out a parallel internship in the World YWCA headquarters in Geneva. On the recommendation of the two interns, a further internship has been established in Uganda where a young YWCA member who is living with HIV has been coordinating the activities of positive young woman associated with the YWCA and strengthening the response to HIV from within the organisation, including the mobilisation of young HIV-positive YWCA members. ICW was also involved in helping YWCA co-organise the first International Women's Summit on AIDS.