Reflect, Rejuvenate, Renew

Grandmothers rising to new possibilities

Grandmother activists are coming together across 11 countries for the first-ever hybrid — online and in person — International Grandmothers Gathering (IGG) this October 24–26.

In Canada, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, grandmothers will be developing national plans of action and making new international connections. It will be momentous!

These gatherings come at a critical time. Since COVID-19, many grandmothers have seen a major backslide in gains made toward ending the HIV epidemic, and in the protection of their human rights.

Faced with discrimination based on gender, age, and HIV status, grandmothers are courageous advocates for their families and communities.

Since 2006, Canadian, American, Australian, and British grandmothers and grandothers have joined African grandmothers in solidarity through the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. Members raise significant funds and awareness, rallying behind the call, “We will not rest until they can rest!”

The IGG is an opportunity for grandmothers around the world to celebrate and strengthen the grandmothers movement and chart a clear path forward.

What happens at an International Grandmothers Gathering?

The IGG program is by and for grandmothers. In each region, they design a program that can include national and international workshops, public marches, and meetings with policymakers to advocate for grandmothers’ rights. Gatherings raise the visibility of grandmothers mobilizing for a more equitable future, free from AIDS.

Collectively, grandmothers will contribute to an International Grandmothers Statement that will be shared with policymakers across the African continent and in Canada.

We are looking forward to sharing updates as grandmothers rise to new possibilities!