After almost two weeks of round-table discussions, panel debates and lobbying, the 53rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) came to an end, its legacy being the statement of 'Agreed Conclusions' focusing on this year's priority areas, including the "equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS".

On Thursday March 12, I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel sponsored by the United Nations Association - USA at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).  The topic, addressing the care-giving burdens and gender gaps in PEPFAR, seems as timely as ever as the Obama Administration has found itself dealing with the results of the Emergency Plan's reauthorization process and seeking new leadership at the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC). 

After a decade of participating in civil society organizing around the Commission on the Status of Women, I came to this year's meetings to observe.   It's an exciting moment for those of us who have worked for so many years to link the women's movement with the HIV and AIDS movement.  For the first time, a central aspect of HIV and AIDS affecting women - the burden of care - is an explicit focus of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Now in Washington DC, am trying to recover from last week's circus at the UN.. Rethinking surviving that first week of the 53^rd session of the UN CSW, I have changed my mind. I am now, for probably the first time in the 11 years since I've been coming to New York, glad I made it there.

The World Bank

In my earlier posts I have discussed my fundamental issues with the amount of data collection and systematic information gathering that goes on at the UN.

A cruel paradox has been emerging during a number of Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) panels: while women bear the lion's share of care giving responsibilities within the HIV/AIDS pandemic, they are often unable to protect their own sexual and reproductive health and rights.