Today the world affirmed that the Global Fund’s work is having a huge impact! With a whopping US$14 billion to step up the fight for the next three years!
We have come so far – and we still have much work to do! With this massive injection of cash and confidence the Global Fund needs to step up and support all countries to invest more in high impact strategies and programmes that address gender equality. Gender inequality has a huge impact on HIV, TB and malaria and is stopping countries and communities from achieving their goals.
Now is the time for the Global Fund to double down and deliver for women and girls in all our diversity. The Global Fund’s current strategy emphasises the centrality of promoting and protecting human rights and gender equality (in the 3rd of its 4 Strategic Objectives). Ever since 2012 Women4GlobalFund (W4GF) Advocates – especially those living in implementing countries – have played a central role in pressing for the Global Fund to address gender equality.
Gender transformative programmes are essential to change the course of HIV, TB and malaria epidemics. As the Global Fund now steps up to take bold action W4GF will be watching closely to make sure that the right programmes are in place; that women – who know best – play their part as decision makers at the table, guiding and supporting countries to take a strong stand to strengthen and support HIV, TB and malaria programs – and make big change happen. That is what donors today have invested in.
With a fully funded Global Fund, national interventions must go beyond the biomedical approaches and address gender inequalities; gender-related risks; human rights abuses; and remove all barriers that prevent women in all our diversity from accessing health services. This needs to happen in all countries – not just the 13 countries that have already received matching funds to scale up programmes for adolescent girls and young women.
The Global Fund was born out of civil society activism and leadership. 17 years later we still own the Global Fund as our fund and we will continue to hold the Global Fund accountable to supporting national programmes and services that not only deliver effective services but increase the quality of our lives. W4GF will hold the Global Fund accountable for delivering on gender equality as a central plank of its action.
Today we celebrate the Global Fund as a unique, innovative, successful financing mechanism – and one that has the confidence of people and governments all over the world. We look forward to the 20th anniversary – and the next replenishment in 2022. At that time we hope to celebrate the innovation and action that has created a Global Fund that makes big change on gender equality as well as the three diseases.
To download a copy of this statement click here
For more information, please contact Sophie Dilmitis, Global Coordinator, Women4GlobalFund (W4GF) – sophie@women4gf.org www.women4gf.org or https://www.facebook.com/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.