South African National Aids Council: Women's Sector Reference Group

What?

In March 2007, a working group was established to plan a women's sector summit to discuss South Africa's National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS and SP and to ensure that women's concerns are adequately addressed in the plan (Members included:  Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre, Soul City, Women's Net, POWA, the AIDS Law Project, the Treatment Action Campaign, the International Community of Women living with AIDS, Friends for Life, the Reproductive Health and HIV Research Unit and IBIS).

At a SANAC meeting on April 30th 2007, the National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS and STIs (2007-2011) was formally adopted and the nominations of the women's sector representatives -
- Sipho Mtati, Secretary General of the Treatment Action Campaign,
- Dr Natalya Dinat, Project Manager of WITS Palliative Care; and
- Dr Rachel Jewkes, Director of the Medical Research Council's Gender and Health Unit - were confirmed.

On 18th July 2007, the SANAC women's sector organised a meeting of the extended reference group formed at the Women's Sector Summit in March 2007. The purpose of the meeting was to update the group on SANAC activities so far, plan how the women's sector will mobilise around the NSP and to nominate women's sector representatives to various SANAC structures. In November 2008, new SANAC representatives were elected. 

A reference group has been established and is coordinated by Ruth Rensberg (email: ruthruss [at] tiscali [dot] co [dot] za). The reference group was scheduled to meet on 7 April 7 to amongst other matters, plan the 2008 Women's Sector Summit.

How to get involved:

Contact Ruth Rensburg at ruthruss [at] tiscali [dot] co [dot] za