As the world marks another World AIDS Day, the atmosphere is one of profound transition and, for many, deep-seated anxiety. This year’s theme, “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response,” is not merely a slogan; it is a desperate rallying cry for a global community that appears to be wavering in its commitment. In a landscape defined by shifting political priorities, economic instability, and the lingering aftershocks of a global health crisis, the message from advocates is clear: the world must step up its efforts or risk losing decades of hard-won progress. At the heart of this struggle is a demographic that remains disproportionately affected yet chronically under-resourced: women and girls.
The statistics surrounding the pandemic remain a sobering reminder of the work left to do. Currently, of the 40.8 million people living with HIV globally, 53 per cent are women and girls. This is not a coincidence of biology, but a direct consequence of systemic gender inequality. Nowhere is this more visible than in sub-Saharan Africa, where the crisis has taken on a particularly gendered face. In this region, adolescent girls and young women are acquiring HIV at a rate six times higher than their male counterparts. This staggering disparity points to a failure of social and structural systems to protect the most vulnerable. It is a crisis fueled by a toxic cocktail of gender-based violence, restricted access to healthcare, and the persistent exclusion of women from decision-making roles.
Gender inequality acts as a catalyst for the virus, creating environments where women lack the agency to protect their own health. When a girl is denied an education, her risk of HIV increases. When a woman faces violence at home, her ability to negotiate safe practices or access treatment is compromised. Furthermore, women continue to carry the overwhelming burden of the care economy. They are the primary caregivers for those falling ill, often sacrificing their own health, education, and economic stability to support their families and communities. This unpaid labor is the invisible backbone of the global AIDS response, yet it remains largely unrecognized and unsupported by formal policy frameworks.
Today, these existing inequalities are being exacerbated by a new threat: a significant retreat in global health funding. As donor nations tighten their belts and shift their focus toward other emerging crises, the very programs designed to empower and protect women are the first to face the chopping block. These cuts are not just numbers on a spreadsheet; they represent a tangible threat to the lives of millions. Shrinking resources mean fewer clinics, reduced access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and a dismantling of the community-based networks that provide a lifeline for women living with HIV. There is a very real danger that the progress made over the last twenty years could be reversed, leading to a resurgence of the pandemic in communities that were finally beginning to see hope.
However, the narrative of women in the HIV movement is not solely one of vulnerability. It is also one of immense resilience and leadership. Women living with HIV have long been the architects of change in their own communities. They are not passive recipients of aid; they are fierce advocates, sophisticated organizers, and visionary leaders. From grassroots peer-support groups in rural villages to high-level policy negotiations in international forums, women are the ones driving the transformation of the AIDS response. They are demanding that their rights be upheld and that their leadership be fully recognized and, more importantly, fully resourced.
In response to these challenges, UN Women has intensified its efforts to place gender equality at the center of the HIV response. Throughout 2024, the organization focused on moving beyond mere service delivery to focus on structural empowerment. By strengthening the leadership capacities of more than 35,000 women across 36 countries, UN Women is ensuring that those most affected by the pandemic have the tools to lead the fight against it. This work has spanned the globe, with a particular focus on Africa and Central Asia, where community-based services have been expanded to include not just medical treatment, but legal empowerment and outreach.
Legal empowerment is a critical, yet often overlooked, component of the HIV response. For many women, the barrier to treatment is not just a lack of medicine, but a lack of rights. In many parts of the world, women living with HIV face the threat of property grabbing, loss of child custody, and workplace discrimination. By providing legal support and training women to understand and advocate for their rights, these programs ensure that a positive diagnosis does not lead to a total loss of autonomy. When a woman is legally empowered, she is better equipped to stay in treatment and protect her family’s future.
The global policy landscape is also reaching a critical juncture. The Beijing+30 Political Declaration has recently reaffirmed that women’s health is a paramount concern within the Beijing Platform for Action. This 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 the goals of gender equality and the eradication of AIDS are inextricably linked. As the world approaches the 30th anniversary of the landmark Beijing conference, the international community is being asked to honor its promises with more than just words; it must provide the political will and the financial capital necessary to make these rights a reality.
As we observe World AIDS Day, the call for a recommitment to the cause has never been more urgent. To truly transform the AIDS response, there must be a definitive reversal of the current trend of disinvestment. This requires a two-pronged approach: maintaining international aid while simultaneously increasing domestic funding within the countries most affected. Governments must prioritize health spending and ensure that these funds are directed toward programs that address the specific needs of women and girls. This includes investing in integrated health services that combine HIV care with reproductive and maternal healthcare, as well as programs aimed at ending gender-based violence.
Furthermore, the global response must move toward a model that centers human rights. This means decriminalizing populations at risk, ensuring privacy and confidentiality in healthcare settings, and dismantling the stigma that still surrounds HIV. Stigma remains one of the most significant barriers to ending the pandemic; it prevents people from getting tested, stops them from seeking treatment, and isolates those living with the virus. Women, who often face double stigma due to both their gender and their status, are particularly impacted by these social barriers.
The fight against AIDS is far from over. While the medical advancements of the last few decades have been nothing short of miraculous, medicine alone cannot fix a crisis rooted in social injustice. The path forward requires a holistic approach that recognizes the power of women as the primary drivers of change. We must support the networks of women who are already doing the work, providing them with the resources they need to scale their impact. This means funding women-led organizations, ensuring women have a seat at every policy-making table, and protecting the activists who put their lives on the line to defend the rights of others.
The theme of “Overcoming disruption” is a reminder that the journey toward a world without AIDS is not a straight line. There will be setbacks, and there will be new challenges that threaten to derail our progress. But the history of the HIV movement is a history of overcoming the impossible through collective action and unwavering persistence. Now is the time to protect what has been achieved and to push forward with renewed energy. By centering the lives, the rights, and the leadership of women and girls, the world can finally turn the tide and transform the AIDS response into a success story for all of humanity. The fight continues, and it is a fight we must win together.
