The inclusion of women, girls and gender equality in National Strategic Plans for HIV and AIDS in southern and eastern Africa

Abstract

The global HIV and AIDS epidemics disproportionately affect women, particularly young women in southern and eastern Africa. UNAIDS, amongst other actors, has singled out National Strategic Plans for HIV and AIDS (NSPs) as a critical platform for ensuring that women and girls are meaningfully included in national HIV and AIDS responses. Despite this, there is little evidence as to how or whether NSPs integrate responses to women and girls. Using a collaboratively developed framework, we assessed how 20 countries in southern and eastern Africa integrated women and girls in their NSPs. We identified that in general there is poor inclusion, apart from access to post-exposure prophylaxis in the case of sexual violence and access to vertical transmission services. Drawing on Moser's distinction between women's practical and strategic interests, we suggest that overall women and girls are poorly included in NSPs, and where there are policies and programmes, there is an overwhelming focus on women's practical interests, without any consideration of women's strategic interests. We argue that this limits the potential of NSPs to be platforms for national responses that meaningfully seek to transform gender relations.

Keywords:

• HIV
• women
• National Strategic Plans for HIV and AIDS
• girls
• southern and eastern Africa