India (Focus Country)

W4GF is implementing its Accountability Toolkit with ten women who make up the W4GF Accountability Implementation Group in India. To read more about this click here.

See India’s most recent funding request here.

All national related work is led by Ms Daxa Patel from the National Coalition of people living with HIV in India (NCPI+) led by. NCPI+ has over 15 years of experience and expertise from grassroots to policy level related to people living with HIV.  The organisation works to increase active, transparent and constructive participation of people living with HIV and health activist to strengthen care, support and treatment response of the country and improve the quality of life of individuals and families. The W4GF Accountability Implementation Group in India is:

  • Amrita Sarkar – India HIV/AIDS Alliance
  • Anandi  Yuvaraj – Positive Women Network of India
  • Arunida Khumukcham – Ya_All
  • Ayeesha Rai – National Network of Sex Workers 
  • Daisy David – National Coalition of People Living with HIV in India
  • Daxa Patel – National Coalition of People Living with HIV in India
  • Mona Balani – National Coalition of People Living with HIV in India
  • Pooja Mishra – Bihar Network for People living with HIV/AIDS Society
  • Poonam Zankhariya – Gujarat State Network of People living with HIV AIDS Sobhana Sorokhaibam – Nirvana Foundation

India has a large population and is geographically distributed in 28 states and union territories. Much of India is covered by rural landscape and women have limited understanding of their own health which leads to poor health seeking behaviours. The major cause of this gender dependency is male dominance. The power imbalance between men and women means women are often unable to negotiate condom use or protect themselves from HIV and women living with HIV are reluctant to access healthcare for fear of discrimination and marginalisation, leading to a disproportionate death rate in HIV among women . Intimate partner violence, mental health issues, societal norms, lack of negotiating power and low economic status are some of the challenges women face which create intersectional vulnerabilities to stigma and discrimination due. This intersectionality puts women in vulnerable situations that furthers hinders them from enjoying health and women rights. 

Key national strategies and policies that the rights of women and girls in India include:

To find out more about W4GF’s Accountability work please contact the W4GF Global Coordinator Sophie Dilmitis and for more information on the national level work please contact Daxa Patel here