Framework for Women, Girls, and Gender Equality in National Strategic Plans on HIV and AIDS in Southern and Eastern Africa

Collaboratively developed and endorsed by 19 regional and global organisations, this framework presents a vision about how National Strategic Plans (NSPs) on HIV and AIDS across southern and eastern Africa should meaningfully address women, girls, and gender equity. The Women, Girls, and Gender Equality NSP Framework is written to identify key priorities and sample interventions for addressing women, girls, and gender equality in the development of the next generation of NSPs. It is also intended to serve as an assessment tool for on-going reviews of NSPs.

The Framework consolidates the evidence-base, including good practice, around women and girls in the context of HIV in southern and eastern Africa and has been collaboratively developed by experts from civil society, academic research centres, and the United Nations. It is presented as an opportunity for critical commitment and for advancing important policy frameworks for women and girls, such as the African Women’s Decade; the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa; the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa; the Maputo Plan of Action on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights; the United Nations General Assembly Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS; and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).


In addition, the Women, Girls, and Gender Equality NSP Framework is a tool to be used to advance campaigns such as the Africa-UNiTE to End Violence Against Women as well as in conjunction with on-going national and regional initiatives to integrate gender into NPS, including the implementation of the UNAIDS Agenda for Accelerated Country Action for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV.