Dear all, for those who said the attachment could not open please find below a pasted copy, please submit your applications to the National Network of PLHIV in your country or ICW country Chapter, these networks will be in charge of submitting the shortlisted applications to NAPWA+ and UNAIDS, the country networks shall send the names of shortlisted candidates to the email address stated in the below mail, please read the guideline very well before applying.
Best.
Introduction
HIV related stigma and discrimination are widely recognised as barriers
to accessing HIV prevention, treatment and care services. Without addressing
stigma, the goal of universal access will be impossible to achieve. Much of
what we know about the stigma attached to HIV, and resulting discrimination, is
anecdotal or fragmented and does not include the perspective of people living
with HIV.
The PLHIV Stigma Index is a joint
initiative between UNAIDS, GNP+ (Global Network of PLHIV) and ICW (International
Community of Women Living with HIV) that aims at increasing the understanding
of how stigma and discrimination is experienced by people living with HIV. This
tool is meant to be used by, as well as for, people living with HIV. It includes a questionnaire that explores ten key
areas to build up a deeper understanding of stigma and how it manifests itself
for those living with HIV. A User Guide has also been published to support the
facilitators and to ensure consistency, confidentiality, and sensitivity in the
use of the questionnaire. Once the
initiative is underway, the results will enable analysis of changing trends
over time in each country and deepen understanding of what works (and doesn’t
work) in addressing stigma. The evidence gained through this study is meant to
be used to shape future programmatic interventions and policy change.
To date, three countries in West Africa (Nigeria, Gambia
and Senegal) have completed or are in the process of finalizing the PLHIV Stigma Index according to the
global guidelines and methodology. As part of the implementation of its HIV
regional strategy, the West African Health Organization (WAHO) is committed to
support countries in West Africa to accelerate their efforts to address stigma
and discrimination through rollout of the PLHIV
Stigma Index and the development of evidence-based
responses.
In that context, the West African network of People living with HIV (NAP+WA) is organising a
West Africa regional workshop on the PLHIV
Stigma Index under the aegis of WAHO in collaboration with GNP+, RNP+, ICW
and UNAIDS.
This workshop will take place from Monday 17 to Thursday 20 June 2013 in
Dakar, Senegal and will have the following objectives:
·
introduce the People Living with HIV Stigma Index, pass on
knowledge on
the tool, its methodology and the standards for country rollout
- introduce techniques and strengthen the capacity of participants
for future rollout and training in countries
·
support planning
for in-country rollout of the stigma index
- build a regional platform to encourage experience
sharing and mentoring on the PLHIV Stigma Index between PLHIV
networks
Scope of the expression of interest:
We are looking for two participants per country to
attend the regional PLHIV Stigma Index workshop that will take place from Monday 17 to Thursday 20 June 2013 in Dakar, Senegal.
Participants will receive an introduction to the PLHIV Stigma Index where they will have the opportunity to learn
about the tool from other country teams that have already implemented it and from
the International Partnership.
The training will culminate in the development of short-term action
plans for the implementation of the PLHIV
Stigma Index.
Following the workshop, participant’s support is expected to become
instrumental to national partnerships who will lead the implementation of the PLHIV Stigma Index. Participants
might also play a role at regional level by exchanging ideas, knowledge and
experience with other PLHIV networks who happen to be in need of support to
rollout the PLHIV Stigma Index in
their countries.
The workshop will be open to the following countries: ECOWAS countries:
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau,
Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo; as well
as Mauritania.
Minimum criteria for selection
Participants must fulfil the following criteria:
1. Be living with HIV
2. Be active in an organisation with a long standing
commitment to working with HIV – endorsement letter from the organisation needed
3. Have knowledge and/or experience in addressing HIV
stigma and discrimination
4. Have some training and or research experience
5. Agree with the aims and goals of the PLHIV Stigma index
6. Be willing and able to actively take part in the
rollout of the index across the country after the workshop – This will involve time
commitment and travel
7. Have good oral/written command of either French or
English (The training will be conducted
in English and French and translation available in these two languages)
8. Have regular access to an internet connexion
9. In countries were the PLHIV Stigma Index has already been implemented (Gambia, Mali,
Nigeria, Senegal), an additional criteria should be added: have actively been involved
in the PLHIV Stigma Index rollout
Selection process
This will be a two-step selection process
First step: selection of nominees at national level
Selection at national level will be made under
the leadership of the national networks of People Living with HIV.
The call for expression of interest will be
largely circulated among PLHIV networks in countries through NAP+WA, ICW, and
UNAIDS list serves.
Women, young people as well as representatives
from key populations groups (MSMs, SWs, IDUs, or others) living with HIV are
encouraged to apply. National networks of
PLHIV should consider diversity when making their selection of nominees.
Where a single supranational PLHIV network exists, it will be in charge of
selecting the 4 nominees (2 women, 2 men) according to the above-mentioned list
of criteria
In countries where more than one national PLHIV networks exist, each of them will be
asked to express their interest and eventually to identify a maximum of 2
nominees (1 woman, 1 man) according to the above-mentioned list of criteria
Deadline for sending the NAMES AND APPLICATIONS of selected nominees to
the regional committee: Friday 24 May 2013. These
should be sent by national networks to the West Africa regional network of
people living with HIV (NAP+WA) at the following address: saw_...@hotmail.com, with copy to
UNAIDS regional support office at: lequ...@unaids.org.
Second step: selection of 2 participants per
country at regional level
Based on national selections of nominees, a
regional selection committee composed of representatives from NAP+WA, ICW, GNP+,
and UNAIDS will come up with a final list of participants. These will receive
an invitation to attend the workshop as well as the logistical support
necessary to cover the costs and arrangements for their travel and attendance
to the workshop in Senegal.
The regional selection committee will endeavour to
reach a balance through its selection process so as to ensure the diversity of
participants to the workshop, including women, men, young people and representatives
of key populations.
The regional selection committee will be
expected to communicate the list of selected participants on Monday 27
May 2013.
How to apply
To apply, please write two paragraphs,
the first one explaining how your application meets the selection criteria, and
the second one explaining why you would like to participate in this programme,
your interest and/or previous research experience, and how you envision the
national rollout of the index in your country. Your contribution should NOT exceed one
page.
We also ask you to include an endorsement from
the head of your network / organisation stating their support for your
involvement in this process, now and in the future.
We look forward to
hearing from you and working with you on this important initiative.