Draft Platform for Action
C. Inequalities in access to health and related services
Strategic objective C.3. Undertake [gender-sensitive] multisectoral initiatives that address sexually transmitted diseases, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other [sexual and reproductive health] issues
Actions to be taken
109. By Governments, international bodies including relevant United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral donors and non-governmental organizations:
(a) Ensure the involvement of women, especially those infected with HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases or affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, in all decision-making relating to the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases;
(b) [Review and amend laws and practices, as appropriate, that may contribute to women's susceptibility to HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases, including enacting legislation against [those socio-cultural practices] that contribute to it], and implement legislation, policies and practices to protect women, adolescents and young girls from discrimination related to HIV/AIDS;
(c) Encourage all sectors of society, including the public sector, as well as international organizations, to develop compassionate and supportive, non-discriminatory AIDS/HIV-related policies and practices that protect the rights of infected individuals;
(d) Recognize the extent of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in their countries, taking particularly into account its impact on women, with a view to ensuring that infected women not suffer stigmatization and discrimination [including during travel];
(e) Develop [gender-sensitive] multisectoral programmes and strategies to end social subordination of women and girls and to ensure their social and economic empowerment and equality; and facilitate promotion of programmes to educate and enable men to assume their responsibilities to prevent HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases;
(f) Facilitate the development of community strategies that will protect women of all ages from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, provide care and support to infected girls, women and their families and mobilize all parts of the community in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic to exert pressure on all responsible authorities to respond in a timely, effective, sustainable and [gender-sensitive] manner;
(g) Support and strengthen national capacity to create and improve [gender-sensitive] policies and programmes on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, including the provision of resources and facilities to women who find themselves the principal caregivers or economic support for those infected with HIV/AIDS or affected by the pandemic, and the survivors, particularly children and older persons;
(h) Provide workshops and specialized education and training to parents, decision makers and opinion leaders at all levels of the community, including religious and traditional authorities, on prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and their repercussions on both women and men of all ages; [parental language]
(i) [Give all women all relevant information about HIV/AIDS and pregnancy and the implications for the baby, including breast-feeding;]
(j) Assist women [of all ages] [recognizing the rights, duties and responsibilities of parents and other persons legally responsible for children and consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child] and their formal and informal organizations to establish and expand effective peer education and outreach programmes and to participate in the design, implementation and monitoring of these programmes; [recognizing the rights, duties and responsibilities of parents and other persons legally responsible for children and consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child];
(k) Give full attention to the promotion of mutually respectful and equitable [gender relations] and, in particular, to meeting the educational and service needs of adolescents to enable them to deal in a positive and responsible way with their sexuality, [as agreed in the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development] [as contained in the report of the International Conference on Population and Development];
(l) [Design specific programmes for boys, adolescents, [with the support and guidance of their parents,] [recognizing the rights, duties and responsibilities of parents and other persons legally responsible for children and consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child] and men of all ages, aimed at providing [reliable] [complete and accurate] information and encouraging [abstinence until marriage as responsible sexual behaviour.] safe and responsible sexual and reproductive behaviour, including voluntary, appropriate and effective male methods for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.] [training in the promotion of safe and responsible sexual behaviour, including voluntary abstinence and [condom use]];
(m) Ensure the provision, through the primary health care system, of [universal access of individuals and couples] to appropriate and affordable preventive services with respect to sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and expand the provision of counselling and voluntary and confidential diagnostic and treatment services for women; [and ensure that high-quality condoms as well as] drugs for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases are, where possible, supplied and distributed to health services;
(n) Support programmes which acknowledge that the higher risk among women of contracting HIV is linked to high-risk behaviour, including intravenous substance use and substance-influenced [unprotected] [irresponsible] sexual behaviour and take appropriate preventive measures;
(o) Support and expedite action-oriented research on affordable methods, controlled by women, to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, on strategies empowering women to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and on methods of care, support and treatment of women, ensuring their involvement in all aspects of such research;
(p) [Support and initiate research that addresses women's needs and situations, including research on HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases in women, on women-controlled methods of protection, such as non-spermicidal microbicides, and on male and female risk-taking attitudes and practices;].
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