News by the HIV Justice Network

This past year we’ve been challenged yet again due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As well as the impact on each of us, personally, the legal and policy decisions relating to its control – and their enforcement –  have significantly impacted…

Criminal prosecutions related to presumed HIV exposure via breastfeeding are all-too-often driven by stigma, misinformation, and the desire to protect a child from exaggerated risk.  People living with HIV require a vigorous defence based on principles of justice and human…

REGISTER HERE Beyond Blame, our flagship meeting for activists, human rights defenders, criminal legal system and public health system actors, healthcare professionals, researchers, and anyone else working to end HIV criminalisation, is returning for a special eve-of-World AIDS Day edition….

A new briefing paper published today by Positive Women’s Network-USA on behalf of the HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE coalition aims to support people living with HIV, activists, legal experts, and human rights campaigners in understanding the complexities and consequences of molecular…

A new report published by the Global Equality Caucus examines what elected officials can do to ensure LGBT+ people receive equitable access to HIV healthcare. The report titled Breaking barriers in HIV: Action for legislators to address LGBT+ inequities, includes…

The proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child”. But what if a mother in the village is living with HIV, and some of the villagers stigmatise her? What if that stigma creates a situation where the mother…

HJN stands in solidarity with sex workers and asks everyone to support the upcoming Sex Worker Pride Day (September 14) that aims to increase the visibility of sex workers and their activism. Sex Worker Pride is an opportunity to celebrate and share stories…

After five years of waiting, the Constitutional Court of Uganda has finally begun to hear a landmark case challenging the overly broad and draconian provisions of the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 2014. Constitutional Court Judge Christopher…

Activists and advocates in East and Southern Africa are encouraged to register and participate in a free moderated online course on HIV criminalisation. If you work with civil society organisations based in Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini,…

This week, the Governor of the US state of Illinois signed a bill that fully repeals its HIV criminalisation law, becoming only the second US state ever to do so. Illinois’ HIV-specific criminal law was first enacted in 1989, and…

The fourth episode of HIV Justice Network’s web show, HIV Justice Live! that streamed live on July 14 is now available to watch on YouTube.  The episode, which our colleagues at the HIV Legal Network called a “master class in…

The HIV Justice Network is a proud supporter of the Support. Don’t Punish campaign now in its ninth year. Tomorrow, Saturday 26 June, is the campaign’s yearly high point, the Global Day of Action. According to the campaign’s website, “Support.Don’t…

Today, the HIV Justice Network looks to the future with the publication of our new Strategic Plan, covering the years 2022-2026. People living with HIV remain firmly at the heart of this strategy, and all our work aims to contribute…

This past week has seen a huge amount of activity related to HIV and, specifically, HIV criminalisation. Illinois is about to become only the second US state ever to completely repeal its HIV criminalisation law which has been on the…

A crucial new advocacy tool to challenge HIV criminalisation This week UNDP published a crucial new tool to support our advocacy efforts in challenging HIV criminalisation. Guidance for prosecutors on HIV-related criminal cases presents ten key principles to help prosecutors…

KEEP THE PRESSURE ON TO ENSURE COMMUNITY-LED RESPONSES, REMOVAL OF PUNITIVE LAWS, AND EXPANDED INVESTMENTS IN SOCIETAL ENABLERS REMAIN SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS IN THE 2021 POLITICAL DECLARATION As a global coalition campaigning to abolish criminal laws and similar policies and practices…

Today, May 17, is celebrated globally as the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT). According to the May 17 website, the day “represents a major global annual landmark to draw the attention of decision-makers, the media, the public,…

Published on 10 May 2021 in: The BMJ   The proposed International Pandemic Treaty could be undermined by political posturing and national protectionism—or it could be an opportunity to chart a different global future based on human rights. Those in…

The HIV Justice Network (HJN) joins other civil society and human rights organisations in condemning the passage of the Sexual Offences Bill in Uganda earlier this week. The move by Ugandan Parliamentarians to pass the Sexual Offences Bill is a…

Looking back at an “extraordinary twelve months” Today, with the publication of our Annual Report 2020, we look back at some of the key highlights of an extraordinary twelve months and look to the future. The report is published by…

You can’t end HIV without ending HIV criminalisation! We must ensure that HIV criminalisation is included as a key indicator in the High-Level Meeting (HLM) 2021 Political Declaration. It is crucial to ensure political commitment to remove laws and policies…

Even as Virginia’s Governor, Ralph Northam, signed legislation late last month to modernise the US state’s HIV criminalisation laws, advocates noted that the inclusion of a felony penalty means that more work needs to be done to ensure that HIV…

Honouring Transgender Day of Visibility The International Transgender Day of Visibility is held annually on March 31 to celebrate trans-diverse people globally and honour their courage and visibility to live openly and authentically. This year’s 12th annual celebration is a…

The HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE (HJWW) coalition which campaigns to end HIV criminalisation around the world, will next week mark five years since its launch. It was on March 24th, 2016 when the seven HJWW founding partners and our key allies…

Yesterday was the Global Day of Action for a #PeoplesVaccine. On 11 March, one year since the World Health Organisation declared a COVID-19 pandemic, influential leaders including Winnie Byanyima from UNAIDS and social justice organisations like Human Rights Watch, joined…