(g) Promote gender equality in relationships, and
diagnostics, especially antiretroviral therapies, and
by building on existing efforts, with special attention given to the issue of breastfeeding;
provide information and resources to promote
informed, responsible and safe sexual behaviour
and practices, mutual respect and gender equality
in sexual relationships;
(m) Strive to ensure that schools at all levels, other educa-
tion institutions and non-formal systems of education
play a leading role in preventing HIV infection, preventing and combating stigmatization and discrimination through the provision of an environment free of
all forms of violence that promotes compassion and
tolerance, and provide gender-sensitive education,
including on responsible sexual behaviour, and practices, life skills and behaviour change;
(h) Encourage all forms of media to promote non-dis-
criminatory and gender-sensitive images and a
culture of non-violence and respect for all human
rights, and particularly women’s rights, in addressing HIV/AIDS;
(i) Encourage active involvement of men and boys
through, inter alia, youth-led and youth-specific HIV
education projects and peer-based programmes,
in challenging gender stereotypes and attitudes as
well as gender inequalities in relation to HIV and
AIDS, as well as their full participation in prevention, impact alleviation and care, and design and
implement programmes to encourage and enable
men to adopt safe and responsible sexual and
reproductive behaviour and to use effectively methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually
transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS;
(n) Work together with civil society, including tradi-
tional, community and religious leaders to identify the customary and traditional practices that
adversely influence gender relations, and to eliminate those practices that increase the vulnerability
of women and girls to HIV/AIDS.
3. Treatment, care and support
(a) Request Governments to ensure universal and
equal access for women and men throughout their
life cycle to social services related to health care,
including education, clean water and safe sanitation, nutrition, food security and health education
programmes, especially for women and girls living
with and affected by HIV/AIDS, including treatment
for opportunistic diseases;
(j) Intensify, especially in the most affected countries,
education, services, community-based mobilization
and information strategies to protect women of
all ages from HIV and other sexually transmitted
infections, including through the development
of safe, affordable, effective and easily accessible
female-controlled methods, including such methods as microbicides and female condoms that
protect against sexually transmitted infections and
HIV/AIDS, as well as voluntary and confidential HIV
testing and counselling and the promotion of sexually responsible behaviour, including abstinence and
condom use;
(b) Request Governments to work to provide comprehen-
sive health care for women and girls living with HIV/
AIDS, including dietary and food supplements and
treatment for opportunistic infections and full, equal,
non-discriminatory and prompt access to health care
and health services, including sexual and reproductive
health, voluntary and confidential counselling, taking
into account the rights of the child to access to information, privacy, confidentiality, respect and informed
consent and the responsibilities, rights and duties of
parents and legal guardians;
(k) Strengthen sustainable, efficient and accessible
primary health-care systems that serve to support
prevention efforts;
(l) Special attention should be given to the prevention
of HIV, particularly with regard to mother-to-child
transmission and for victims of rape — on the basis
of informed consent and voluntary and confidential
testing, counselling and treatment — including
through ensuring access to care and improving
the quality and availability of affordable drugs and
(c) Care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS,
particularly women and girls, should have a comprehensive approach involving medical, social, psychological, spiritual and economic needs, targeting
the community and national levels;
4