As the world marks World AIDS Day, the atmosphere is one of both profound reflection and heightened urgency. This year’s theme, “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response,” serves as a stark reminder that the global community stands at a precarious crossroads. While decades of scientific advancement and grassroots activism have brought the end of the epidemic within sight, a convergence of economic instability, shifting political priorities, and social upheaval threatens to stall that progress. The message from global leaders and advocates is unequivocal: this is a moment to step up, not to step back. The fight against HIV/AIDS is far from over, and the path forward depends entirely on our ability to resource and empower the women and girls who remain at the epicenter of the crisis.
The data remains a sobering indictment of systemic inequality. Of the 40.8 million people currently living with HIV globally, 53 percent are women and girls. This is not a biological accident but a social and structural failure. Nowhere is this more evident than in sub-Saharan Africa, where the disparity is staggering: adolescent girls and young women are acquiring HIV at six times the rate of their male peers. This is a statistic that demands more than just sympathy; it demands a radical overhaul of how we approach public health. The vulnerability of these young women is rooted in a toxic cocktail of gender-based violence, restricted access to reproductive healthcare, and the pervasive lack of economic and educational opportunities. When a girl is denied the right to stay in school or the agency to negotiate her own bodily autonomy, her risk of contracting HIV skyrockets.
Beyond the biological risks, women continue to bear the disproportionate weight of the pandemic’s social consequences. They are the primary caregivers, often providing unpaid labor to support those living with the virus while simultaneously managing their own health. This "care burden" often goes unrecognized in official economic reports, yet it is the glue that holds many community-based responses together. When global health systems falter, it is women who fill the gaps, often at the expense of their own professional development and financial security.
However, the current landscape is being further complicated by a worrying trend of disinvestment. As global attention shifts toward other emerging crises, funding for HIV prevention and treatment programs is under significant threat. These budget cuts are not just numbers on a spreadsheet; they represent a direct threat to the lives of millions. Shrinking resources mean fewer community outreach programs, less access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and a reduction in the legal aid services that protect women from the discrimination that often follows a diagnosis. The fear is that we are witnessing a reversal of hard-won gains, where the very programs designed to empower women are being dismantled just as they are proving their effectiveness.
In the face of these challenges, it is essential to shift the narrative. Women living with HIV are frequently portrayed as victims in need of rescue, but the reality on the ground tells a much more powerful story. They are the primary advocates, the visionary leaders, and the change-makers who are redefining what the AIDS response looks like. From the streets of Johannesburg to the rural villages of Central Asia, women-led networks are providing the most effective, culturally competent care available. They are the ones reaching the most marginalized populations, breaking down the stigma that prevents people from seeking testing, and ensuring that treatment adherence remains high.
UN Women has been at the forefront of this movement, recognizing that ending AIDS requires a focus on leadership as much as medicine. In 2024 alone, the organization successfully strengthened the leadership capacities of more than 35,000 women across 36 countries. These efforts are not merely symbolic; they are transformative. By equipping women with the tools to lead, UN Women is ensuring that the specific needs of women and girls are prioritized in national health strategies. This work includes expanding access to community-based prevention and treatment services and providing legal empowerment to ensure that women can fight back against the human rights violations that often drive the epidemic.
Central to this effort is the Beijing+30 Political Declaration, a landmark commitment that reaffirms women’s health as a critical area of global concern. Three decades after the Beijing Platform for Action first set an ambitious agenda for gender equality, the declaration serves as a vital reminder that health rights are human rights. It pledges to advance the health rights of all women and girls, recognizing that a world where women are healthy and empowered is a world where the HIV epidemic can finally be brought to an end. As we look toward the future, the principles of the Beijing Declaration must be integrated into every aspect of the AIDS response, ensuring that gender equality is not an afterthought but a foundational pillar.
The call to action for this World AIDS Day is clear: the global community must recommit to the fight with renewed vigor. This means reversing the trend of disinvestment and instead increasing both international and domestic funding for the HIV response. It means centering gender equality and human rights in every policy decision and ensuring that political will does not waver in the face of competing interests. True progress requires a holistic approach that goes beyond medical intervention. It requires an end to the violence that silences women and a commitment to supporting the grassroots networks that have proven time and again that they know how to save lives.
We must also recognize that the "disruption" mentioned in this year’s theme is not just an obstacle to be bypassed, but a signal that our current systems need to be transformed. The old ways of doing things—top-down approaches that ignore the lived experiences of those most affected—are no longer sufficient. Transformation means shifting power to the communities themselves. It means ensuring that a young woman in sub-Saharan Africa has the same access to life-saving information and technology as someone in a high-income nation. It means dismantling the patriarchal structures that make poverty and HIV so inextricably linked.
As we move forward, we must carry the understanding that the fight against AIDS is a litmus test for our commitment to global equality. If we allow women and girls to be left behind, we fail not only them but our collective future. The resilience shown by women leaders over the past four decades is a testament to what is possible when we invest in the right places. These women have shown that even in the face of deep uncertainty, progress is possible. They have turned their lived experiences into expertise and their challenges into a catalyst for social change.
The journey toward a world without AIDS is long, and the path is currently fraught with new hurdles. However, the roadmap remains clear. By resourcing the power of women and girls, we do more than just fight a virus; we build stronger, more equitable societies. We ensure that the next generation of girls grows up in a world where their health is protected, their rights are respected, and their leadership is celebrated. AIDS is not over, but it can be. The fight continues, and it is a fight that we must win together, with women leading the way. Now is the time to protect the milestones we have achieved and to push forward with a unified, well-funded, and gender-transformative response that leaves no one behind.
