The U.S. Global Health Initiative:

Will it Guarantee Women’s and Girls’ Sexual and Reproductive

Rights?Serra Sippel, President

Center for Health and Gender Equity

(CHANGE)

XVIII International AIDS ConferenceVienna, Austria

July 18, 2010

Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)

Changing U.S. foreign policy. Changing women’s lives.

The U.S. Global Health Initiative (GHI)

• Links HIV/AIDS, family planning, maternal & child health, TB, malaria and NTDs

• Country-led• Woman & girl

centered• Integrated and

coordinated

U.S. Barriers to SRHR Remain

• Funding and Program Silos

• Funding restrictions• Abstinence and/or Be

faithful (AB) programs • Anti-Prostitution Loyalty

Oath (APLO)• Fragmented U.S.

advocacy & donor communities

What You Can Do• Find out how the GHI

is being implemented in your country– Woman-centered?– Civil society

involvement?– Meaningful involvement

of women & youth living with HIV and AIDS?

– Integrated?

• Share information and speak out against U.S. policies and programs that don’t work in your country

Thank you!

Serra Sippel, PresidentCenter for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)

ssippel@genderhealth.org