Women's HIV Prevention Tracking Project (WHiPT)
Women's HIV Prevention Tracking Project (WHiPT)
is a collaboration between AVAC and the ATHENA
Network that supports women's
community-based efforts to monitor, evaluate,
and develop or expand advocacy around new and
emerging HIV prevention strategies. WHiPT
provides support for community-based teams
working on specific issues within a local or
national context. There are currently three
WHiPT teams in southern Africa receiving
support for pilot projects tracking the
implications for women of the introduction of
male circumcision for HIV prevention. In the
coming months, this pilot project will be
expanded to include teams from eastern Africa.
WHiPT plans to release its first findings on
male circumcision rollout at the 2010 IAS
conference in Vienna.
Male circumcision project goals include:
1) Finding out what women think/know/feel about male circumcision for HIV prevention
2) Finding out what's happening on the ground and in policy regarding spending on male circumcision for HIV prevention
3) Sharing information with women about male circumcision for HIV prevention
4) Using information gathered to affect change
WHiPT lead country organizations:
Namibia:
Namibia Women's Health Network (NWHN)
South Africa:
AIDS Legal Network (ALN)
Swaziland:
Swaziland for Positive Living (SWAPOL)
The WHiPT Advisory Group:
Male circumcision project goals include:
1) Finding out what women think/know/feel about male circumcision for HIV prevention
2) Finding out what's happening on the ground and in policy regarding spending on male circumcision for HIV prevention
3) Sharing information with women about male circumcision for HIV prevention
4) Using information gathered to affect change
a) In
understanding what the issues are for women
regarding male circumcision for HIV
prevention
b) Through an
evidence base of women's thoughts, concerns,
and experiences about implications of male
circumcision on stigma, violence, condom use,
masculinity, and other issues
c) In women that are reached through the program, so that they feel empowered with information about male circumcision for HIV prevention and related issues that helps them in negotiations with partners and as advocates
c) In women that are reached through the program, so that they feel empowered with information about male circumcision for HIV prevention and related issues that helps them in negotiations with partners and as advocates
d) In male
circumcision programs and messages so that male
circumcision for HIV prevention is safe for
women
e) In
identifying future advocacy
strategies
WHiPT lead country organizations:
Namibia:
Namibia Women's Health Network (NWHN)
South Africa:
AIDS Legal Network (ALN)
Swaziland:
Swaziland for Positive Living (SWAPOL)
The WHiPT Advisory Group:
- Dr. Kim Dickson, Medical Officer, HIV Prevention in the Health Sector, WHO;
- Cynthia Eyakuze, Director, Public Health Watch, OSI Public Health Program;
- Dr. Julia Kim, Cluster Leader: Millennium Development Goals & Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment and Care, United Nations Development Programme, HIV/AIDS Practice;
- Dean Peacock, Co-Founder and Co-Director, Sonke Gender Justice Network;
- Dr. Ida Susser, Professor, Department of Anthropology, Hunter College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York and Adjunct Professor, Department of Socio-Medical Sciences, School of Public Health, Columbia University;
- Dr. Alice Welbourn, Founder, Salamander Trust and Author, "Stepping Stones";
- Dr. Sarah Zaidi, International Coordinator, ITPC