FIDA HIV project

Project: Supporting women affected by HIV or AIDS

Location: Ghana (Eastern, Brong Ahafo and Volta Regions)

Partner: International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA)

Project paralegals supporting women affected by HIV or AIDS

The Situation

In Ghana women are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS and their needs are not being sufficiently met at the national or local level.

60% of HIV infected adults are women

Many women and girls neglect their reproductive health needs and fail to access appropriate information and support for fear of abuse and rejection by their families and communities. There are numerous examples of HIV+ women:

being dismissed from employment,
facing the loss of their children and property and
having no access to justice.

Those that are able to access appropriate services often find it an unsympathetic and hostile experience.

What Womankind is doing

Womankind is collaborating with our local partner FIDA to support women affected by HIV or AIDS, in 3 regions of Ghana.

With our partner we are:

Providing counselling, legal aid, court representation, and referrals to medical, social and legal services for 453 women affected by HIV or AIDS
Training 154 community members to become paralegals to provide direct support to women in communities
Raising awareness with 778 men and women on the links between HIV & AIDS and discriminatory and violent practices towards women
Training 120 service providers (the police, health officials, judiciary) in gender equality, women’s human rights and their obligations

What we have achieved so far

Starting in May 2010, we have already secured the agreement of a traditional leader to reconsider cultural and traditional practices in his community that infringe upon women’s rights.

Women’s voices

“I did not have a life before coming to FIDA. I could not sleep at night because I was afraid my husband would try to infect me…With the intervention of FIDA-Ghana I now have safe accommodation, my children are being maintained by their father and I am engaged in petty trading now.” Patience, 37yrs old, from Kumasi, Ghana