Print The 30 for 30 Campaign is dedicated to ensuring the unique needs of women living with and affected by HIV, including transgender women, are addressed in the national HIV response. The Campaign is especially committed to eliminating gaps in prevention and care services for Black and Latina women who continue to be disproportionately impacted. The campaign represents diverse leadership and constituencies from every region of the United States. OPEN LETTER March 11, 2013:  In Commemoration of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day the 30 for 30 Campaign Calls for Transparency, Engagement and Action The 30 for 30 Campaign joined national and local partners across the country in recognizing National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 10), acknowledging the historic and ongoing contributions of women in the fight against HIV/AIDS, violence against women and addressing gender-based health care disparities. HIV/AIDS is one of the leading causes of death for women of reproductive age (15-44). In the U.S., women now account for nearly a quarter of new HIV infections, with the highest rates in the Northeast and the South. African American and Latina women are upwards of 30 times more likely to contract HIV than other women. Women most at risk of contracting HIV are more likely to have experienced sexual or intimate partner violence, with nearly one in four women in the U.S. reporting such acts of violence. The response to the epidemic for women must mirror the need for a more coordinated and integrated approach. One that takes into account not only HIV prevention and care but also women’s reproductive health and violence prevention and counseling needs. Progress has been made with the establishment of the White House Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Gender-related Health Disparities. Yet, almost one year later, the lack of transparency and meaningful engagement of the larger women’s community is less than desirable. The webinars and limited public comment that have been made available to date are insufficient modes of interacting in this regard. “There is great value in building on community knowledge by bringing together the voices and experience of women living with and affected by HIV and those that serve them in order to address these critical and intersecting issues,” said C. Virginia Fields, Chairperson/Founding Member of the 30 for 30 Campaign, and President and CEO of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc. The 30 for 30 Campaign calls on the White House Working Group, in conjunction with the Office of National HIV/AIDS Policy, to convene and meet with established coalitions and organizations who serve communities of women living with and affected by HIV, and those who have experienced violence as well as gender related health disparities. Only with expanded engagement that builds on the knowledge, expertise and experience of those most affected can the HIV community begin to address the complex and fast moving policy landscape ahead. With this engagement we can make real progress in building an agenda to fully address the integration of major programs related to health care reform and the Ryan White Care Act in order to meet the needs of women living with and affected by HIV specifically. Further, the 30 for 30 Campaign calls upon women leaders to remain vigilant in focusing attention to the ongoing deliberations regarding the federal budget Sequestration.  The Sequestration’s impact on services for women living with and affected by HIV have the potential to be devestating for communities around the country and will affect agencies across the board. The 30 for 30 Campaign supports the goals of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day as designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health. The Campaign’s members celebrated NWGHAAD across the country. The celebrations and programs reflect the commitment of our member organizations to diversity, home-grown solutions and representation in all regions of the country. For a sample listing of 30 for 30 member NWGHAAD activities please see below: March 8, 2013: Oakland’s Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Rally – Oakland, CA Friday, March 8, 2013, 3-6pm Hosted by: Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Diseases (WORLD) Location: 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA Local HIV advocates, elected officials and community leaders will participate in a rally and health fair promoting the importance of HIV awareness, education, and testing for women and girls. The rally will include visual performances and spoken word artists, HIV education, free testing provided by CAL-PEP and HEPPAC, safe sex supply distribution, food and refreshments, and much more. For more information and to RSVP, contact Bethan Lamb: [email protected] 510.986.0340 ext 317 Saturday, March 9, 2013: Girls on Fire: Blazing the Way and Passing the Torch – Washington, DC March 9, 2013, 2pm-5pm Hosted by: The Women’s Collective, MetroTeen AIDS, Will Rap for Food, and Our Place, Inc. Location: Bell Multi-Cultural High School Auditorium, Washington, DC The celebration will feature fashion from several designers, performances, trivia with raffles, HIV testing, speakers and tributes to female trailblazers in HIV/AIDS and intersecting fields, including our First Lady, Michelle Obama. For more details contact Latishia James, Youth Program Coordinator Sunday, March 10, 2013: Visions Beauty Natural Hair and Health Expo- HIV Testing and Education for National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2013 – Birmingham, AL March 10, 2013, 12pm-6pm Hosted by: AIDS Alabama www.aidsalabama.org Location: Cahaba Grand Conference Center, 3660 Grandview Parkway, Birmingham, AL 35243 AIDS Alabama is celebrating NWGHAAD through a partnership with Visions Beauty Distributors Natural Hair and Health Expo. This event will kick-off the creation of the Beautifully Health Alliance, an initiative led by AIDS Alabama that will train hair stylists and beauty professionals to share accurate health information with their clients and communities! This event is open to the public and will include HIV testing and education–along with other health screenings and information for women and girls of all ages! Last year’s Expo was attended by 2,500 women and girls! For tickets and additional information about the event visit: http://naturalhairandhealthexpo.com For more information about this event, contact: Dafina Ward, [email protected],205-918-8204 Ongoing Events: Now, everywhere:  National Women and AIDS Collective Survey.   In Observation of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day the National Women and AIDS Collective (NWAC) Launches Survey to Help Women Focused Organizations Continue Work to Save the Lives of Vulnerable Women, Families and Communities Working towards the goal of gender equity, the National Women and AIDS Collective (NWAC) has developed a survey to assess barriers, challenges, and distinctive issues faced by women focused organizations who are engaged in saving the lives of vulnerable women, families and communities. NWAC will use the results of the survey to advocate for policy changes that will enable women focused organizations to thrive and sustain themselves during these tough economic times and for funding to serve women in need of quality HIV-related health services. The survey is accessible at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9FCYY9Z Various dates and locations:  Positive Women’s Network – USA events.  Click here for details. 30 for 30 Campaign Founding Member Organizations The Afiya Center HIV Prevention & Sexual Reproductive Justice – African Services Committee – AIDS Alabama – AIDS Alliance for Children Youth & Families – AIDS Foundation of Chicago – AIDS United – Bailey House – Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA) – Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) – Center for HIV Law and Policy (CHLP) – Christie’s Place – Community Healthcare Network – HIV Law Project – HIV Prevention Justice Alliance – Housing Works – International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW) – IRIS Center – Memphis Center for Reproductive Health – National AIDS Housing Coalition (NAHC) – National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) – National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc. (NBLCA) – National Black Women’s HIV/AIDS Network (NBWHAN) – National Health Law Program (NHeLP) – National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) – National Women and AIDS Collective (NWAC) – Positive Women’s Network – USA (PWN-USA)  – Sisterlove Inc. – SMART University – South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council – Southern HIV/AIDS Strategy Initiative (SASI) -The Well Project – The Women’s Collective – Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Diseases (WORLD) – Women with a Vision.