W4GF Manifesto

Women4GlobalFund Manifesto

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We are diverse women working at national, regional and global levels who are engaged with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) and we care about how it spends its money to achieve gender equality. 

We gather to highlight and confront unequal power relationships between women and men in our communities, including in HIV, TB and malaria programmes and responses. Our advocacy is based on evidence and observations that show the harmful impact of gender inequality among women and girls seeking benefit from or influence Global Fund supported programmes

We are not homogeneous and face multiple layers of stigma and discrimination in our lives when we access health services. We work to ensure that Global Fund policies and programmes reflect and respond more effectively to our diversity.

We recognise that women’s rights are human rights and that we have a legitimate right to equitably benefit from HIV, TB and malaria treatment and prevention, regardless of our health status, sexual orientation and gender identity, age, race, class, caste, work, lifestyle, and other statuses. We advocate that principles of inclusion are reflected and upheld throughout all Global Fund policy and decision-making, including in all related national levels.

We advocate for sufficient mechanisms, spaces and opportunities for women to participate in Global Fund decision-making processes and to lead the work where appropriate. We want to be full and equal partners recognizing the critical roles we play in advocacy and delivery of rights-based HIV, TB and malaria responses, and we want a fairer share of recognition and support including for women-led responses.

We value collaboration and partnership and work in open and inclusive ways to support engagement, allowing for different levels of participation across Global Fund structures and systems. We promote positions of influence and leadership for women and advocate for countries to implement gender-transformative approaches – working to address gender inequality from its root causes through challenging and changing gender norms that create inequalities between women and men.

We seek accountability and responsibility for what the Global Fund has already promised but has not always delivered. We want transparency in how decisions are made and what informs decisions to ensure that resources are aligned to the Global Fund’s key strategic objective to promote and protect human rights and gender equality.

Together we are stronger, organised and prepared to push for the changes on behalf of women in all their diversity wherever they live. 

What do we mean by diversity? Diversity is strength. We welcome all women who are engaged in Global Fund processes and structures in key regions most affected by HIV, TB and malaria. This includes women living HIV or affected by TB and malaria; women who identify as heterosexual, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex or non-binary; women who use drugs; sex workers over 18-years old; adolescent girls and young women; Indigenous women; women who are sometimes displaced internally; migrants and refugees; women and girls who are or have been incarcerated; and women with visible and invisible disabilities.

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