To #BeBoldForChange, A Simple Action to Help #EndHIV4Her

Women are often the “glue” that keeps families together and sustains them. They should be supported, respected, and given the best opportunities to live empowered and healthy lives.
—Annie Lennox, via NBCNews.com

This year, for International Women’s Day, we ask women and men across the world to take one step today and share this message to #BeBoldForChange on behalf of women’s health and gender equality.

For us at IPM, any call for gender equality must prioritize the health and well-being of women and girls, so they have the opportunity to make positive social and economic contributions to their communities. When it comes to HIV/AIDS, which is twice as likely to afflict young women as men, helping women to stay healthy can seem especially difficult. But the good news is that we’re working on new technologies — including the monthly dapivirine ring — that could expand women’s options with a new way to protect themselves against HIV.

While there’s still much work to be done, today we thank all who are dedicated to driving down the rates of HIV infection among women, and improving their sexual and reproductive health. We thank our research partners and salute all the women who have participated in clinical trials for HIV prevention products. These women are the heroes of this effort, without whom recent advances would not have been possible. And we thank our donors and advocacy partners, whose support enables us to innovate for women, with women. 

By continuing to unite scientific discovery with political will and financial commitment, together we will find solutions to meet women’s urgent HIV prevention needs and #EndHIV4Her. And together, we will create a future where women have the tools they need to keep themselves and their families healthy, with the opportunity to thrive.

From all of us at IPM, we wish you a happy and healthy International Women’s Day.

The IPM Team