TRANSMITTING HOPE FOR WOMEN IN THE HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC

 
Geeta Rao Gupta, Former President, International Center for Research on Women
Interviewed by Sheila Roche, Head of Global Communications, (RED)

In 2009, the World Health Organization published a fact sheet identifying AIDS as the leading cause of death and disease among women aged 15-49 worldwide. Though the link between gender inequality, poverty, and HIV/AIDS was well-established, this startling statistic revealed an urgent need to better address and understand gender as a key structural factor in transmission. For the first time since the onset of the epidemic, evidence now suggests that mothers aged 15-49 could give birth to the first AIDS-free generation in three decades in 2015. This feat will be supported by interventions to combat income and educational disparities, gender-based violence, and social conventions that underpin the feminization of HIV/AIDS. Join us for a conversation with Geeta Rao Gupta and Sheila Roche as they discuss the social determinants of HIV/AIDS transmission, strategies for addressing the present pandemic, and global partnerships to secure an AIDS-free future for the next generation.

Geeta Rao Gupta is former president of the International Center for Research on Women and a senior fellow in the Global Development Program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Gupta is recognized internationally for her expertise on women’s health, economic empowerment, poverty alleviation, and gender equality. She serves on the steering committee of aids2031, an international initiative commissioned by UNAIDS, and the boards of the Moriah Fund, the Nike Foundation, the MAC AIDS Fund, and Landesa. She received her bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from the University of Delhi, and her Ph.D. from Bangalore University.

Sheila Roche is a communications consultant and head of Global Communications for (RED), the first business and consumer-driven initiative to raise money and awareness for the fight against AIDS in Africa. (RED) is now the largest business sector contributor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Roche produced a documentary on HIV/AIDS development spending in Africa, The Lazarus Effect, with Spike Jonze and HBO in 2010. She was formerly managing director of Principle Management, where she managed the musical careers of U2 and PJ Harvey. She serves on the boards of the Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media and Common Threads in Chicago.