This week UNAIDS, for the first time, will hold a thematic session on HIV/AIDS and aging. The background document contains the latest information and has a special section on AIDS and older women. You can read it here, but the highlights are on pages 4 and 5.
It is time to address ageism and gender inequality within the HIV response and consult directly with older women living with HIV to understand their needs concerns, values and perspectives.
Recently, a few GRANs attended a workshop on “Evaluating Advocacy” put on by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. One of the learnings from the workshop was that doing advocacy frequently involves shifting strategies and multiple actors, thus making evaluation difficult. To make a plausible case for the effectiveness of advocacy, it is important to gather supporting evidence as the work unfolds. An example of evidence of our effectiveness occurred in the House last week when MP Anita Vandenbeld, speaking in memory of the survivors and victims of the Ecole Polytechnique killings, concluded by applauding the Grandmothers Advocacy Network. Capturing informal and formal comments such as this one are an important testament to our growing influence. Read MP Vandenbeld's statement here.
An estimated 276 million children globally are harassed and abused in and around school every year. 20% of girls drop out of school because
of school related gender based violence (SRGBV) and it is a serious barrier to learning. Girls have a right to learn, a right to be in school
and a right to be safe and protected.
How can schools move from mirroring gender inequalities and discrimination in the home and community to places that promote gender equality
and the rights of children? Find out more at
December 1 is World AIDS Day and in recognition we look back at the history of the pandemic, we acknowledge the progress that has been made and we look to the future and all that needs to be done to eradicate HIV/AIDS. Please read this article written by Mark Dybul, the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
GRANs all across Canada are rallying today to "orange" Canada in support of the United Nations UNiTE to End Violence against Women and Girls "Orange the World" campaign.
Click here to read about GRAN "Orange" efforts in Saskatoon.
And check out our Facebook Page and our Twitter feed for GRAN events and photos from across the country.
This year, Member of Parliament Joyce Murray is supporting the Grandmothers Advocacy Network (GRAN) and working to grow awareness of the UNiTE Orange the World campaign to end violence against women and girls. She will wear orange in Parliament on November 25th and invites others to join her and to learn more about how to help.
You can read Ms. Murray's statement of support here.
This week we celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child. We reflect on how far we have come and bring awareness to all of the challenges that still remain to fully achieve gender equality. Without gender equality, our goal of having a world of inclusive, peaceful and prosperous communities will not be realized. Gender inequality is deep-rooted in our societies. Education is an important foundation for addressing obstacles such as: gender violence, early marriage, teenage pregnancy, poverty, lack of access to clean water and sanitation and lack of proper nutrition to reach SDG#5. Read more:
Around the world, schools are attacked or being occupied by military forces in conflict zones. This is having a devastating effect on children endangering their lives, their teachers’ lives and denying hundreds of thousands of children their right to education.
Canada needs to sign the Safe Schools Declaration, a political commitment to protect education during armed conflict. 56 countries have signed, Canada needs to be the 57th
Read more at
In a recent blog post for the Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development (ICAD), Peggy Edwards of GRAN has called for older women to be counted and supported in the fight against HIV/AIDS. "It is time to include older women/grandmothers as a key population in national, international, and global plans to fight and end HIV/AIDS.
Read the full text of Peggy's call to action and inclusion here.
To mark the five-year anniversary of Girls Not Brides, the organization is launching its first progress report: “It Takes a Movement: Reflecting on Five Years of Progress Towards Ending Child Marriage”.
The report covers several areas of progress, including child marriage trends, global and regional commitments, strengthening legal and policy frameworks, building a movement, creating an understanding of what needs to be done, and funding for the field. It ends with a seven-point list of recommendations to build on the progress made thus far and make a difference in the lives of millions of girls everywhere.
GRAN has been a member of Girls Not Brides since 2014, actively participating in raising awareness and mobilizing action through media, social media, global campaigns and speaker series. We meet and correspond with Canadian Members of Parliament, Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentary Committees and other leaders who can influence this issue nationally and globally.
Aug 20, 2024
"Dismiss ‘grannies’ as frail old biddies at your peril: they’re some of the toughest activists out there." In an opinion piece in The Guardian, writer Sally Feldman challenges "granny" stereotypes... Read more
Jul 19, 2024
"Africa’s growing debt problem risks reversing decades of progress, pushing millions of people into poverty, and setting off political instability.... Fortunately, it’s a problem with known solutions... Read more
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Despite being preventable and treatable, malaria kills nearly half a million people and infects over 200 million worldwide every year – 70 per cent of whom are children under five years old. ... Read more