E/2002/27 E/CN.6/2002/13 Women, the girl child and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) 39. At the 9th meeting, on 11 March, the representative of Malawi, on behalf of Angola, 1 Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,1 Lesotho,1 Malawi, Mauritius, 1 Mozambique, 1 Namibia,1 South Africa, Swaziland,1 the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia 1 and Zimbabwe,1 introduced a draft resolution entitled, “Women, the girl child and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)” (E/CN.6/2002/L.3), which read as follows: “The Commission on the Status of Women, “Recognizing that women play a vital role in the social and economic development of their countries, and therefore profoundly concerned by the fact that out of 40 million people living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) today, women now represent about half of all people over age fifteen living with HIV and AIDS, “Noting with great concern that the proportion of women becoming infected with HIV is growing in every region, that in sub-Saharan Africa the majority of those living with HIV are women and that, in the younger age brackets (fifteen to twenty-four years of age), girls are at higher risk of HIV infection and more girls than boys are now infected, and welcoming, in this context, the International Partnership against AIDS in Africa, “Mindful that the majority of women and the girl child in most developing countries do not enjoy full social and economic rights, such as education, health care and welfare, and therefore suffer disproportionately from the consequences of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, particularly in the economic and social spheres, “Recognizing that women, who constitute the majority of the poor, are especially vulnerable to HIV infection because of their subordinate status in society, in the household and in communities and because of their restricted access to education, gainful employment and health and information services, “Also recognizing that women, in particular young girls, are physiologically and biologically more vulnerable than men to sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, and yet receive minimal health care and support when infected, “Noting with concern that approximately 80 per cent of the infected women have been infected through unprotected sex with an infected male partner, and acknowledging, therefore, that men have a shared responsibility towards protecting their own and women’s sexual health, “Acknowledging that millions of women do not have access to means that have proved effective in preventing and lowering infection rates, such as male and female condoms, anti-retroviral drugs, relevant preventive education, acceptable counselling and testing services, “Noting with appreciation the efforts of the Joint United Nations Programme on Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (UNAIDS) and its co-sponsoring organizations, the United Nations 33