The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Agenda for Accelerated Country Action for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV (hereafter referred to as the Agenda for Women and Girls or the Agenda), offers a menu of strategic actions to achieve high-impact results for women and girls in the context of the HIV response. The Agenda addresses the rights and needs of women and girls across generalized, concentrated and low-level epidemics, with actions that can be tailored to local realities. It highlights the importance of working with networks of women living with HIV and diverse women’s groups, while engaging men and boys as partners for gender equality. It also calls for a strong partnership with the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) to leverage resources and enhance efficiency in resource use.

The Agenda covers the period 2010 to 2014 and is structured around three key recommendations that correspond with the three areas identified in the UNAIDS Action Framework for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV:

1. knowing, understanding and responding to the particular and various effects of the HIV epidemic on women and girls
2. translating political commitments into scaled-up action to address the rights and needs of women and girls in the context of HIV
3. ensuring an enabling environment for the fulfillment of the human rights of women and girls and their empowerment, in the context of HIV.

Based on these three issues, the Agenda articulates clear results and actions to achieve these results, while allocating specific responsibilities for UNAIDS secretariat, UN Joint Teams on AIDS, Cosponsors and UN Women (now the 11th Cosponsor).