International community should 'strengthen and sustain' efforts to prevent GBV, HIV

Noting the ongoing 57th session of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and International Women's Day, recognized today, Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. global AIDS coordinator and head of the State Department's Office of Global Health Diplomacy, and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé write in the Huffington Post's "Global Motherhood" blog, "It is therefore a fitting moment for the global community to reflect on the collective progress we have made in improving the status of women and girls around the world, and to recommit ourselves to realizing a day when all women and girls have the opportunity to fulfill their potential and contribute fully to their societies." They continue, "[W]e are firmly committed to advancing gender equality and responding to the unique health needs of women and girls."

Goosby and Sidibé describe the work of PEPFAR and UNAIDS to eliminate and prevent violence against women and girls, which is the theme of this year's CSW. "Despite this encouraging progress, much more remains to be done. Today, we call on the global community, including leaders from government, civil society, and the United Nations to strengthen and sustain its commitment to and leadership on gender-based violence and HIV," they write. "This requires accelerating progress towards reaching MDGs 3 and 6, and ensuring that HIV, gender inequality, and gender-based violence are firmly positioned on the post-2015 agenda," they continue, concluding, "Only through a global commitment to zero tolerance to violence and achieving an AIDS-free generation, including for women and girls, will we enable individuals, families, and communities to achieve their fullest potential" (3/7).