“Nothing about us without us!”
Some years back HIV positive people were voiceless as HIV negative people represented them and so their deepest concerns were never really uttered. But Zimbabwe’s 24-year-old Anna Sango has put an end to this as she represented Zimbabwe women both living with HIV and not, at the first ever International AIDS Conference held in the United States. In her line of work back home Anna Sango is a peer educator in Bulawayo. She is a well-known vocal activist who founded her own community-based support group for women affected by HIV. She advocated for the inclusion of all women in matters of policy formulation in matters that affect them.
It is also at this conference that sex workers demanded their fuller inclusion. Sango in her presentation said:
“Frankly we are getting tired of repeating ourselves… why do so many of the same old problems exist? 2012′s pandemic has a woman’s shape… we need to look with clear eyes to see old problems, why are we working on the same old problems every 2 years? What is missing? We are missing! I’m a young woman, transitioning into full adulthood, full womanhood, I would like to do that in a safe space, I ask you, how are you holding yourself accountable? An AIDS free generation looks like a generation which takes global responsibility for the safety and quality of life of all of its women and girls by discussing, implementing, and following through on plans for addressing racism and women’s equality. Policy decisions that affect women must include them in the decision-making process…This means all women, including women who use drugs and women sex workers.”