Women4GlobalFund Applaud UK and Japan!
We Urge Donors to #StepUp #IncreasetheFund
Fantastic news today from the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan as the UK Government pledges to save 2 million lives with a game changing pledge of up to £1.4 billion to the Global Fund. The UK has been a long standing supporter of the Global Fund and gender equality and we call on the UK Government to make sure that with this bold new pledge the Global Fund continues to do more and better for women and girls in all our diversity.
Women4GlobalFund (W4GF) applauds the efforts of those engaged in the replenishment process. We appreciate and commend governments who have pledged early and increased their pledges in the 6th Global Fund Replenishment cycle. These include: Luxembourg (€9 million, an 11 percent increase over the last replenishment period); Ireland (will increase its contribution to the Global Fund by at least 50%); Portugal (more than tripled its commitment to the Global Fund with a pledge of €750,000); Japan (US$840 million – a 5% increase); and today this bold pledge from the UK Government.
“These early and increased pledges are a sign that countries are committed to stepping up the fight towards ending these three life threatening epidemics. This commitment will help the Global Fund continue its trajectory to save more lives and end HIV, TB and malaria epidemics that continue to cause preventable illness and deaths among women and girls.” Maurine Murenga, Global Fund Board member representing Communities and W4GF Advisory Group Member
Background Information for W4GF Advocates
The Global Situation
In January 2019 the Global Fund announced its fundraising target (a minimum of US$14 billion) for the next three-year cycle. Many donor and other governments will make their official pledges at the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference that will take place in Lyon on October 10, 2019 and will be hosted by France.
As outlined in the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Investment Case the global response is off track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: health and well-being for all. The US$14 billion will ensure that the global response gets back on track and continues to play an essential role by building stronger health systems for HIV, TB and malaria and accelerate progress toward universal health coverage in the next three-year cycle.
With US$14 billion the Global Fund could save 16 million lives and avert 254 million new cases of HIV. It could reduce inequalities in health including gender and human rights- related barriers to access, and build more inclusive health systems that leave no one behind. Harmful gender norms, discrimination, gender based violence, limited access to education and a lack of tailored gender transformative services inhibit women’s and girls’ access to health care and drives epidemics. With US$14 billion, the Global Fund will be in a stronger position to support countries to challenge and respond to harmful gender norms; create enabling environments and grow more equal opportunities for women in all our diversity. The funds would allow implementation to stay on track to promote and protect human rights and gender equality; and that support countries to reach women most marginalised and vulnerable because of the inequalities they face.
The Global Fund strategy for 2017 -2022 made a strategic decision to Promote and Protect Human Rights and Gender Equality as a strategic pillar of their work. W4GF recognises all the work done in this funding cycle and we highlight the Global Fund’s essential role to enable countries to address the significant challenges and work ahead to achieve human rights and gender equality.
As countries continue to announce their pledges we urge W4GF Advocates to advocate for:
- Donors to follow the UK and Japan’s leadership and increase previous pledges from 2016 and announce these early to build on momentum;
- Continue to work with key partners in different countries/regions to maintain momentum on remaining donors that have not pledged in the lead up to the pledging conference;
- Lobby parliamentarians to support global statements that concentrate on specific donors and their embassies if there are concerns that pledges may not be sustained/ increased;
- Showcase effective national initiatives that demonstrate how women in all their diversity have changed lives and are essential to ending HIV, TB and malaria;
- Advocate for governments to increase domestic financing around gender equality and women’s rights in HIV, TB and malaria programmes.
What to know more?
Check out the following important key tools and resources compiled by Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) and STOPAIDS to support our advocacy during this replenishment period.
- The Get Back on Track for the 6th Replenishment Campaign here
- The Call to Action
- The GFAN Campaign Cheat Sheet to engage elected officials and ensure support for the Global Fund Replenishment
- The GFAN Asia Pacific paper:Towards a Successful Global Fund Sixth Replenishment
- The pledge tracker to review progress towards the replenishment target goal. See who else has pledged; and
- The STOPAIDS Paper: The role of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in Delivering Gender Equality
#GetBackonTrack #StepUpthefight #IncreasetheFund #EndtheEpidemics
To view a PDF of this statement click here
Women4GlobalFund (W4GF) is a dynamic and global platform of women and gender equality advocates who share a deep commitment to ensuring that Global Fund programmes are gender-transformative to meet the rights and specific priorities of women and girls in all our diversity. For more information, please contact Sophie Dilmitis, Global Coordinator, – sophie@women4gf.orgwww.women4gf.orgor https://www.facebook.com/women4globalfund/