Call Summary Presentatin: Serra Sippel, president, Center fr Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE): Debriefing n Female Cndm Activities at the XVII Internatinal AIDS Cnference The attentin and activities devted t the prmtin f female cndms at the Internatinal AIDS Cnference energized many advcates. This telecnference was designed t share an verview f cnference activities, and t discuss several infinitives at the glbal and natinal levels advcating fr the female cndm as part f a cmprehensive strategy fr preventin f HIV/AIDS and reprductive health fr wmen and girls internatinally. The fllwing cnference events fcused n female cndms: - The Cndm Prject s Netwrking Zne, where infrmatin abut female cndms, interactive female and male cndm pins, educatinal lp vides, and seed prject infrmatin was made available t participants thrughut the cnference. - The Universal Access t Female Cndms Prmtin Team made itself available thrughut the cnference with different female cndm prducts, a quiz, and infrmatin. In additin, the jint prgramme fr Universal Access t Female Cndms held a satellite wrkshp n female cndms with Dutch AIDS Ambassadr Paul Bekkars. - UNFPA hsted a high-prfile satellite sessin n cmprehensive cndm prgramming. - The Female Health Cmpany hsted an exhibitin bth in the cnference. - The Center fr Health and Gender Equity spnsred and c-spnsred several activities and events fr the Preventin Nw! Campaign, including a sessin in the Yuth Pre-Cnference and a special sessin in the Glbal Village. Preventin Nw! Campaign table in the Wmen's Netwrking Zne in the Glbal Village: Cnference participants and Glbal Village visitrs signed a petitin asking glbal leaders such as the United States t increase supprt and investment in female cndms. Training expert Maya Gkul frm The Female Health Cmpany s glbal public sectr team and CHANGE s Preventin Nw! Campaign team staffed the Preventin Nw! table thrughut the week-lng cnference t answer questins and demnstrate the use f female cndm. Infrmatin abut female cndms the prduct, Preventin Nw! buttns and advcacy infrmatin was distributed t thusands wh visited the table. - Female Cndm Rally: Prir t a press cnference n Wednesday, August 6, Oxfam Internatinal spnsred an imprmptu female cndm rally utside f the cnference media center t draw attentin t female cndms and the press cnference. Wmen, men, and yuth danced, chanted, and rallied, demanding increased funding and supprt fr female cndms. - Partnerships were strengthened and built amng civil sciety grups, advcacy grups and dnrs
Take Actin The Center fr Health and Gender Equity, Wrld YWCA, and UNFPA c-facilitated Expanding Access t Female Cndms thrugh Strategic Partnerships and Infrmed Advcacy, a skills-building wrkshp n female cndms. The wrkshp prvided an pprtunity fr attendees t learn abut female cndm prducts, and discussed key cmpnents fr female cndm advcacy. The Preventin Nw! Campaign press cnference featured CHANGE, the Universal Access t Female Cndms Jint Prgram, a partnership f Dutch NGOs and the Netherlands Ministry f Freign Affairs (DGIS), the Sciety fr Wmen and AIDS in Africa (SWAA), and the United Natins Ppulatin Fund (UNFPA). The rganizatins called n gvernments and internatinal dnr agencies t prvide greater access t female cndms t slw the spread f HIV. CHANGE s reprt abut U.S. supprt fr the prcurement, distributin, and prgramming f female cndms, Saving Lives Nw is available at www.preventinnw.net. Visit www.preventinnw.net t dwnlad Saving Lives Nw and jin the Preventin Nw! Campaign. Presentatin: Lucie van Mens, crdinatr f the Universal Access t Female Cndms Jint Prgramme, Oxfam-Nvib (The Netherlands): The Dutch Jint Prgramme fr Universal Access t Female Cndms Barriers t Widespread Use f the Female Cndm The female cndm is priced significantly higher than the male cndm, and fr ppulatins with lwer incme levels, this is a majr barrier. A lack f prduct variety may dissuade peple frm trying female cndms. Effrts t prmte the female cndm suffer frm a lack f large-scale prgramming, especially because prgramming csts are higher than fr the male cndm, a result f a lwer baseline f awareness and higher price f the cmmdity. Stck-uts during and after prgramming further perpetuate prblems in the prmtin f a cmmdity that is less well-knwn. The lack f supply chain reliability means that peple quickly lse interest in the prduct. Cmpnents f the UAFC Jint Prgramme The Jint Prgramme is an initiative f OXFAM- NOVIB and ther rganizatins with the gal f making the female cndm available at an affrdable and sustainable price and prmting freedm f chice fr wmen arund the wrld with regard t preventin f pregnancy and STIs. The prgram cnducts research and develpment; pilt prgrams are currently underway in Nigeria and Camern and the prgram will sn be expanding t ne ther cuntry in suthern Africa. The prgram is an pprtunity t jin all f the different cmpnents f female cndm advcacy t maximize the efficacy and reach f marketing and prmtin effrts. The prgram attempts t defuse and test miscnceptins abut the lack f demand fr the female cndm. Only after a ppulatin has been expsed t utreach and prgramming can demand be accurately assessed.
The prgram als cnducts advcacy activities which target decisin-makers and dnrs because new investment is needed. Objectives f UAFC Jint Prgramme: The ultimate gal is t decrease the price fr cnsumers f the female cndm and expand the pregnancy and STI preventin ptins currently available. The prgram will wrk tward this gal by: Encuraging the develpment f new prducts (quality, cmfrt, new variatins etc.). Scaling up the use f the female cndm thrugh its pilt prgrams. Encuraging decisin-makers and imprtant dnrs t invest in the female cndm. Presentatin: Bidia Deperthes, HIV/AIDS Technical Advisr fr Cmprehensive Cndm Prgramming, UNFPA: The UNFPA Glbal Female Cndm Initiative: The Right f Wmen and Adlescents t Remain HIV-free The Prgram Gals UNFPA is the lead UN agency in activities arund the prmtin f male and female cndms. In partnership with civil sciety grups, nn-gvernmental and faith-based rganizatins, the private sectr, lcal cmmunities, dnrs, natinal gvernment, and UN agencies, UNFPA encurages gvernments t prmte and advcate fr gender-equitable nrms and the engagement f wmen. Build cmmunities free frm gender-based vilence, stigma, discriminatin, early marriage and sexual explitatin f wmen and adlescents. Expand access t female cndms as a methd f prtectin against bth pregnancy and STIs. Integrate female cndm prgramming as an essential part f natinal HIV/AIDS plicy guidelines and reprductive health prgramming in every cuntry. Lay the scial and plitical fundatin fr ther female-initiated preventin ptins. Use the expertise f the UN t prvide guidance t cuntries and NGOs wrking tgether t prmte family planning ptins. Reduce the number f unprtected sex acts (which in sme places can be as high as 90 percent f all sex acts) by prmting cmprehensive prgrams. Results Thrugh cllabratin with UNAIDS, the United Kingdm s Department fr Internatinal Develpment (DfID), KfW (a German gvernment-wned develpment bank), Ppulatin Services Internatinal (PSI), the Internatinal Planned Parenthd Fundatin (IPPF), DKT Internatinal, the UN Develpment Prgram (UNDP), the U.S. Center fr Disease Cntrl (CDC), the Hewlett Fundatin, and thers, the UNFPA has helped increase availability f and investment in female cndms.
Since 2005, befre the rllut f the Female Cndm Initiative (FCI), dnr supprt has apprximately tripled. Glbal female cndm distributin increased frm less than 15 millin t mre than 27 millin female cndms, an increase f mre than duble. The initiative has encuraged gvernments t distribute female cndms free f charge, and many dnr prgrams nw ffer free female cndms. Strategies and Tactics Strng leadership and crdinatin and significant plitical will at the glbal, natinal, and cmmunity levels is crucial. In many cuntries, demand must cme befre the investment by the gvernment, s the Glbal Female Cndm Initiative makes a big difference in encuraging demand, but als in develping capacity f health trainers and practitiners at the lcal level. Dedicated multidisciplinary natinal cndm teams prvide guidance and supprt t gvernments in develping and mnitring cmprehensive cndm prgramming strategies and implementatin plans. The teams assess the target grups, cst, distributin plans, and fundraising. Capacity develpment wrkshps shw service prviders hw t use the female cndm and emphasize the imprtance f the cmmdity. Awareness-raising and behavir change activities help encurage ppulatins t use the female cndm. Presentatin: Clnel Samuels, crdinatr, Wmen Acrss Differences (Guyana): Prmting Female Cndms thrugh Wmen, Acrss Differences: A Reprt frm the Grund Abut Wmen Acrss Differences (WAD) WAD wrks tward enabling wmen and yuth thrughut Guyana, acrss all ages, ethnicities, and lcatins, t empwer themselves thrugh access t scial and ecnmic resurces. Thrugh its prgrams, WAD is invlved in many initiatives including training, persnal develpment, gender develpment, entrepreneurial develpment, cmmunity mbilizatin, public educatin, sexual reprductive health, cunseling, and disaster preparedness. WAD and its Female Cndm Initiative Three key gvernment agencies are invlved in prmting preventin methds in Guyana: the Ministries f Health, Culture, Yuth, and Sprts, and the Department f Human Services. Many NGOs, civil sciety rganizatins, and health practitiners are als engaged in the prmtin and distributin f female cndms, including WAD. WAD is currently wrking: - in six vulnerable cmmunities, bth rural and urban, with teen educatrs t talk abut planned pregnancy; - with teen mthers (14-19 years ld); - with the indigenus ppulatin at an Amerindian hstel; - with affiliated grups in its cndm prmtin prgram; and - at men s frums and sessins with male partners f its clients. Respnse t Female Cndms in Guyana
Wmen in Guyana have had minimal expsure t the female cndm, and thse wh have been expsed have had varying experiences acrss regins and age grups. Guyana has had gd media cverage and supprt frm sme faith-based rganizatins. The female cndm is still very new in sme cmmunities. Experiences frm WAD Successes: Teen mthers and men are increasingly accepting the female cndm. In the target grups, there was widespread sharing and discussin f the female cndm with peers. WAD saw an increase in return visits fr the female cndm, indicating significant uptake f the prduct. Challenges A multiracial and divided sciety; Myths which still exist abut cndms and sex, such as: - Only men can use cndms. - Female cndms are fr yung peple. - Female cndms will expand the vagina. Gender inequality; Difficulty f discussing female cndms with partners; Relatively lw access t female cndms fr the vulnerable ppulatin. Guyana still has a lt f wrk t d t empwer wmen in their relatinships with their partners, but the female cndm is gaining increased acceptance acrss the cuntry.