In response to the growing number of issues faced by women living with and affected by HIV, UNDP Regional HIV and Development Programme for Asia and the Pacific partnered with Population and Community Development Association (PDA), an NGO based in Bangkok, to initiate the Women and Wealth Project (WWP) in late 2006. As a regional pilot initiative, WWP pursues the socioeconomic empowerment of women living with and affected by HIV through development of small-scale social enterprises.

In response to the growing number of issues faced by women living with and affected by HIV, UNDP Regional HIV and Development Programme for Asia and the Pacific partnered with Population and Community Development Association (PDA), an NGO based in Bangkok, to initiate the Women and Wealth Project (WWP) in late 2006.

As a regional pilot initiative, WWP pursues the socioeconomic empowerment of women living with and affected by HIV through development of small-scale social enterprises. WWP takes a two-phased approach. The first phase is the development of sustainable social enterprises to provide financial resources to support the activities of the positive women's groups and also to finance the second phase. The second phase is the implementation of a unique micro-credit programme specifically designed for people living with HIV called "the Positive Partnership Programme (PPP)," which was pioneered by PDA to provide economic security for people living with HIV and AIDS while reducing stigmatization and discrimination in their communities.(PPP has been selected by UNAIDS for its 2007 Best Practice Collection.) WWP is currently implemented with HIV+ women's groups in Cambodia and India, the initiative is in the first phase.

The initiative has already shown tremendous progress since its inception in mid 2006. The women's group in Cambodia launched a small sewing business and produces a variety of bags and garments. The women's group in India launched a graphic design business that offers comprehensive services in communication design and printing production. As they continue to strengthen their businesses and build their marketable skills, the women experience many other positive effects from participating in WWP as well. WWP women have expressed increased confidence, dignity, hope, and reduced stigma and discrimination against them.

At the 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in August 2007, the initiative launched the "WE" (Women Empowered) brand. Products from the businesses are marketed under WE, this provides a vehicle from which they are able to efficiently promote a larger array of services and products to potential clients.



Strengths of WWP

• Employment for members of the positive women's groups
• Increase in economic empowerment and confidence, resulting in decreasing self-stigma among the positive women's groups
• The women have developed a strong business mentality and increase communication and management skills
• Ongoing vocational training opportunities for positive women
• A safe working environment, absent of stigma and discrimination, that accommodates the unique needs of women living with HIV
• Positive women become income earners and "business owners", thus fostering social empowerment and reduced stigma and discrimination within the community
• A source of sustainable revenue for the positive women's groups so they are able to finance their support activities
• A scale-up strategy that provides an increasing number of employment opportunities to positive women within the region

Message from Mechai Viravidya (Mr. Condom), Chairman of PDA

In the battle against HIV there have been many notable efforts targeted to reduce stigma and discrimination, as well as prevent the spread of the virus. Despite these successes, the economic survival of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, an equally pressing challenge in the combating the epidemic, has largely been overlooked.

The Women and Wealth Project supported by the Population and Community Development Association and UNDP Regional HIV and Development Programme for Asia and the Pacific combines these three necessary elements of a comprehensive HIV/AIDS strategy. WWP economically empowers HIV positive women, creates sustainable revenue to support communities affected and infected by HIV, reduces stigma around the virus, increases social empowerment within communities, develops business skills among the HIV positive and the poor, provides a safe and tolerant working environment for people living with HIV/AIDS, and encourages the implementation of PDA�fs Positive Partnership Program model for wide-spread utilization.

The pilot Women and Wealth Projects in Cambodia and India illustrate the effectiveness of small social business enterprises in meeting these key objectives. The linking of small businesses with local or domestic companies has been a central element of the pilot Women and Wealth Projects. Through these relationships, small businesses have absorbed considerable expertise, improving their products and ensuring the sustainability of their NGOs. By doing so, the businesses improve the quality of life of people infected with HIV and foster compassion in communities affected by HIV.

Mechai Viravidya