Originally scheduled to take place in San Francisco, the 23rd International AIDS Conference transitioned to a fully virtual conference held in July 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The SLF hosted two dynamic online sessions during the Global Village and Youth Programme, highlighting women’s leadership across generations, and we’re pleased to share some of our partners’ insights here.

Grandmothers’ Human Rights in the Response to HIV

This 15-minute conversation recorded live for AIDS2020 Virtual, features grandmother leaders from South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Canada. Their discussion documents the impacts of HIV and AIDS on grandmothers and communities in sub-Saharan Africa, and highlights the innovative work they have done to rebuild their communities and build global solidarity. Speaking to the centrality of grandmothers’ human rights in effective responses to the AIDS pandemic, they share their vision for the future, focussing on how grandmothers are leading movements and mobilizing at local, national, and international levels to claim their human rights.

Youth Leadership in the Response to HIV

In this short 20-minute documentary, hear the insights of young leaders in South Africa and Uganda who are changing the course of the AIDS pandemic in their communities. The film uses footage created by five SLF partners to highlight the impact of HIV on young people, and the leadership they are taking to support their peers, families, and communities to protect themselves from HIV and create a world free of stigma for those living with the virus.

The screening of the film at AIDS2020 was accompanied by a personal and candid 45-minute live conversation with two of the young women featured in the film, which was recorded during the global premiere in Toronto, Canada, in November 2019. See below.