As part of the support to the Global Fund reviewing gender transformative responses to AIDS, ASAP undertook a country case study in Zambia in September 2012, in addition to undertaking a detailed desk review of nine countries programmes. Some findings from this review are described in the new ASAP Position paper, The Global Fund’s New Funding Model – Some steps to secure gender transformative responses to AIDS through the new Strategic Investments Frameworks, which seeks to inform the current Global Fund process to develop a new and improved funding model.
ASAP is very concerned that the current Global Fund model does not appear to be delivering clear outcomes for women and girls and to secure gender transformative responses to the epidemic that are required for a quality response.
The Zambia case study is the first in a sequence of four which will deliver an in-depth analysis designed to support the Global Fund, UN Women and other technical agencies to enhance their support to countries to deliver gender-transformative HIV programming.
To date, the review has found limited implementation of activities scaling up responses to HIV that address the needs of women and girls in a way that would transform local responses to HIV and better the lives of women, their families and communities.
The review indicates that countries have a weak understanding of the most strategic gender-transformative programs required to maximise impact on women and girls. Most immediately it has identified a number of structural barriers within the Global Fund processes that limit strategic investments. It is hoped that these barriers, as well as the recommendations emerging from the review, will be addressed by the new funding model as it seeks to implement the Global Fund’s strategy.