This document outlines a project to build the capacity of the Sudanese Coalition on Women and AIDS. The project will engage the wives of state governors to support women living with HIV. It will work to increase HIV testing and treatment uptake, reduce stigma, and improve livelihoods for women with HIV. The project will provide training to state-level partners on HIV facts and needs of women. It will support advocacy events and income-generating activities over 10 states for one year. Progress will be evaluated through discussions with partners. The goal is to mobilize policymakers and empower women leaders to better support the health and rights of women with HIV.

1. engaging the wives of governors in supporting the positive
health, dignity and prevention of women living with Patron of the
hiv
Sudanese
Coalition on
Women and
AIDS
Hind Hassan
UNAIDS - Sudan

2. Dynamics of
the Epidemic

3.  69,000 people living with HIV,
• 28,000 in need of treatment - only 2500 on
treatment
• 5,000 mothers in need of treatment to prevent
transmission to their babies (only 76 on ART)
• Low concentrated epidemic
• IBBS shows generalized epidemic in some key
populations (MSM, FSW)

4. Main Challenges
• HIV is not considered priority in low prevalence
settings
• Stigma and Discrimination (Islamic country -
sharia law)
• Low level of HIV testing and counseling, - Testing
the wrong groups
• Low Treatment coverage and adherence
• Insufficient political leadership –no domestic
resources - dependence on donor funding
• Limited “meaningful” engagement and capacities
of civil society organizations, including faith-based
entities

5. About the Project
 Project title: Building the technical and institutional
capacity of the Sudanese Coalition on Women and
AIDS to better support positive health, dignity and
prevention of WLHIV
 Duration: one year
 Funding: seed funding from UNAIDS

6.  Overall Goal
Stigma reduction and mobilization of State level
policy makers in support of creating an enabling
environment for women living with HIV to access
services
Objectives
Increasing women uptake of HCT
Increasing pregnant mothers’ uptake of PMTCT
Improving the livelihoods of WLHIV and their
families

7. The Sudanese Coalition on Women
and AIDS
 Membership: all civil society organizations working on
HIV, women and girls issues
 Patronage of First Lady at National Level
 Patronage of Wives of Governors – First Ladies at State
level
 Strategic framework in place (vision, mission,
operational plan)
 No funding mechanism yet

8. Target group
 17 wives of State Governors
 17 representatives of State Ministry of Social Welfare
 10 media personnel
 5 women living with HIV

10. Phase (1): November-December 2012
capacity development
 Bringing together a partnership from each State
 Wife of the governor
 Ministry of Social Welfare and Women Affairs
 Media
 WLHIV
 Sensitization of the group on current HIV situation
 Key facts on HIV transmission, prevention, treatment
and care
 Specific needs of women and girls and women living
with HIV

11. Output of Phase 1
 10 months action plan with the following elements:
 Mobilize Governor and other Policy makers at State level
to include PLHIV needs and issues in their plans,
 Mobilize women leadership at State level to provide
support to women living with HIV;
 Speak and be seen publicly supporting PLHIV/WLHIV
 Improve the financial livelihoods of a number of women
living with HIV as a pilot

12. Media
 shifting from just reporting on HIV data to more of
analytically covering the issues of stigma and
discrimination and vulnerabilities and needs of
women and girls

13. Phase (2): January – October2013
 Seed funding to be provided for 10 States. Main criteria
for choice of State will be the number of people living
with HIV in the State (membership in the
Association). The seed funding will kick-start the work
on the developed action plan.
 advocacy and community mobilization events at the
State level under the leadership of the Wife of
Governor;
 income generating activities for women living with
HIV
 Media and communications

14. Phase (3): October – Dec 2013
 During this phase, the work during the first 2 phases
will be consolidated and a report will be generated.
Focus group discussion will be conducted with the
same groups to evaluate the work and results of the
advocacy campaign and generate recommendations
and follow up action required.

15. Key messages
 Work with the community for the community
 Speak the language of the community
 Use the power of women leadership
 Use safe entry points – ride the right waves
 Tailor your expectations to reality

16. SHUKRAN