On this International Women’s Day (IWD), observed on March 8, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) stands in solidarity with women and girls worldwide, celebrating their achievements while championing action to break down barriers to health, equality, and opportunity. This year, AHF teams worldwide are joining the global movement to demand an end to the inequities that hold women and girls back with IWD commemorations to remind everyone that when women and girls thrive, so do entire communities.
Despite decades of progress, women and girls still account for 44% of all new HIV infections globally and more than 60% in sub-Saharan Africa. Gender-based violence, lack of access to healthcare, reproductive rights restrictions, income inequality, and limited educational opportunities further entrench disparities. Additionally, access to affordable menstrual health products and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education remain out of reach for millions, compromising dignity, mobility, and opportunity.
“Women and girls everywhere deserve the power, knowledge, and resources to take control of their health, futures, and lives,” said Loretta Wong, AHF Deputy Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy. “Real change requires more than words—it demands concrete commitments, including expanding access to HIV prevention and treatment, sexual and reproductive healthcare services, and economic empowerment. On this International Women’s Day, AHF reaffirms its promise to ensure that no woman or girl is left behind.”
AHF prioritizes women and girls by advocating for policies that protect and uplift them worldwide. From distributing free menstrual products and combating gender-based violence to expanding access to HIV/AIDS services, AHF is dedicated to ensuring every woman and girl can lead a healthy, empowered life.
This International Women’s Day, AHF urges leaders, policymakers, and communities to turn commitments into action—because a just and equitable world is only possible when women and girls everywhere can claim their full rights, power, and potential.
To uplift young women and girls, AHF launched its Girls Act program in 2016, which has since expanded to nearly 40 countries. The program aims to keep members free from HIV and other STIs, support HIV-positive members to stay on treatment, prevent unplanned pregnancies, and keep them in school. Learn more at GirlsAct.org – which has information about the program, inspirational stories highlighting current actions from teams worldwide, and a fresh, new look for 2025.
