Criminalization of HIV and sex work in Western and Central Africa
This paper aims to explore the intersection of HIV criminalization and sex work to better understand how HIV criminalization affects sex workers, but also how the different forms of HIV criminalization and sex work reinforce each other and exacerbate violence and discrimination against sex workers living with HIV in the region.
This project is a continuation of the work initiated by And Soppeku, an organization of sex workers in Senegal, which published an advocacy document on the issue in 2023, with the support of HIV Justice Worldwide.
People Living with HIV in support of (S. 53(2)) MARRIAGE BILL 2019 IN ZIMBABWE
In this brochure, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and HIV Justice Worldwide explain why the section 79 of the Criminal Code violates the rights of people living with HIV and is a barrier to HIV prevention and care.
OptTEST Совет 1 – Простые принципы для эффективной кампании по изменению законодательства или нормативных актов
Советы о том, как провести успешную кампанию в СМИ, чтобы вызвать перемены
UNAIDS Terminology Guidelines – 2024
Language shapes beliefs and may influence behaviours. Considered use of appropriate language has the power to strengthen the global response to the AIDS epidemic. That is why the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is pleased to make these guidelines to Preferred terminology freely available for use by staff members, colleagues and other partners working in the global response to HIV
Criminalizing Contagion: Legal and Ethical Challenges of Disease Transmission and The Criminal Law Summary of Key Findings and Outputs (Nov 2014)
This seminar series1 addressed a series of questions and brought together experts from a range of disciplines to answer them. This document summarises the arguments of each of the papers presented over the course of this seminar series, gives details of outputs connected to it, and also provides information on how and by whom we anticipate findings being used.
Women’s Leadership in issues of decriminalization: Experience of the EECA region
The compendium brings together research from the women's community, examples of documented personal stories and court cases. All the collected materials demonstrate how criminalisation of HIV is a global problem and how it is linked to gender-based violence. Experts believe that criminalising laws do not protect against HIV infection, but only make women worse off in society.
- Alternative links
- Женское лидерство в вопросах декриминализации ВИЧ: опыт региона ВЕЦА
Juicios Justos – Segunda edición
Este Manual pretende servir de guía práctica de las normas pertinentes de derechos humanos para todas aquellas personas que se ocupan de analizar en qué medida un proceso penal o sistema de justicia cumple las normas internacionales de justicia procesal. El propósito de la obra es que sea utilizada por quienes asisten a juicios en calidad de observadores y por quienes se ocupan de evaluar las garantías presentes en una causa concreta, así como por quienquiera que desee comprobar si el sistema de justicia penal de un país concreto garantiza el respeto de las normas internacionales para la celebración de juicios justos. También puede resultar útil a título orientativo o como instrumento de formación para legisladores, jueces, fiscales y abogados defensores.
Positive sexuality: HIV disclosure, gender, violence and the law—A qualitative study
Drawing on a feminist analytical framework and concepts of structural violence, this analysis sought to characterize the negotiation of sexual relationships and HIV disclosure among Women Living with HIV (WLWH) in a criminalized setting. Researchers conducted 64 qualitative interviews with cis and trans WLWH in Vancouver, Canada between 2015 and 2017. Despite frequently being represented as a law that ‘protects’ women, the study findings indicate that the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure constitutes a form of gendered structural violence that exacerbates risk for interpersonal violence among WLWH. In line with recommendations by, the WHO and UNAIDS these findings demonstrate the negative impacts of regulating HIV prevention through the use of criminal law for WLWH.
HIV Criminalisation Defence Case Compendium
This HIV Criminalisation Defence Case Compendium aims to support lawyers acting for those who are alleged to have put others at risk of HIV. Based on research conducted in late 2017, it includes criminal cases from all over the world where strong defence arguments have resulted in an acquittal or reduced penalty for persons living with HIV who have been accused of HIV exposure, non-disclosure or transmission.
The Compendium is not intended to be comprehensive. It has been developed as a resource for a training of lawyers from Africa – “Lawyers for HIV and TB justice: Strategic litigation, legal defence and advocacy training” – held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 20-23 February 2018.
Access to Justice for Healthcare Violations: A Guidance Note for Complaints Bodies
This Guidance Note aims to provide concrete recommendations to alternative complaints mechanisms on how to provide safe, accessible and effective remedies for vulnerable and key populations who experience health rights violations.
Alternative complaints mechanisms are, for the present purposes, understood as those processes identified to be able to receive and determine complaints relating to health care outside of formal court procedures. These include healthcare regulatory bodies, such as health professions councils and nursing councils; decentralised complaints processes, such as complaints processes within ministries of health or health facility-based complaints mechanisms; and national human rights commissions and ombudspersons.
The gender of lying: Feminist perspectives on the non-disclosure of HIV status
Arguing from a feminist perspective, this article contends that non-disclosure of HIV status to one’s sexual partner should not vitiate consent to sexual activity. Considers the gendered effect of lying, and how HIV status intersects with the power imbalance at the root of sexual assault. Discusses the tension between the need for women to protect both their medical information and their sexual integrity. Also considers the role of stigma in preventing disclosure.
AMA Resolution on Modernization of HIV Specific Criminal Laws
Resolution by the American Medical Association (AMA) including condemnation of HIV-based discrimination, calls for laws to be consistent with current scientific knowledge, and encouragement of public education about stigma created by HIV criminalization status and their negative consequences. (Background information provided by the Centre for HIV Law and Policy)
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