Connect with us

Obama Creates Group On Intersection Of HIV/AIDS And Violence Against Women

Published

on

Recognizing that “there are approximately 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS,
including more than 290,000 women,” and that the “domestic epidemic
disproportionately affects women of color, with African Americans
and Latinas constituting over 70 percent of new HIV cases in
women,” today, President Obama announced he has established a Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Gender-related Health Disparities.

 

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

 

For Immediate Release

March 30, 2012

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: Establishing a Working Group on the Intersection of
HIV/AIDS, Violence Against Women and Girls, and
Gender-related Health Disparities

Throughout our country, the spread of HIV/AIDS has had a
devastating impact on many communities. In the United States,
there are approximately 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS,
including more than 290,000 women. Women and girls now account
for 24 percent of all diagnoses of HIV infection among
United States adults and adolescents. The domestic epidemic
disproportionately affects women of color, with African Americans
and Latinas constituting over 70 percent of new HIV cases in
women. The spread of HIV/AIDS is, in and of itself, a primary
concern to my Administration. However, gender-based violence
and gender-related health disparities cannot be ignored when
addressing the domestic public health threat of HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS programs often ignore the biological differences and
the social, economic, and cultural inequities that make women
and girls more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. In our country, women
and girls are all too frequently victimized by domestic violence
and sexual assault, which can lead to greater risk for acquiring
this disease. Teenage girls and young women ages 16-24 face
the highest rates of dating violence and sexual assault.
In addition, challenges in accessing proper health care can
present obstacles to addressing HIV/AIDS. Gender-based violence
continues to be an underreported, common problem that, if
ignored, increases risks for HIV and may prevent women and
girls from seeking prevention, treatment, and health services.

My Administration is committed to improving efforts to understand
and address the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence against women
and girls, and gender-related health disparities. To do so,
executive departments and agencies (agencies) must build on
their current work addressing the intersection of these issues by
improving data collection, research, intervention strategies, and
training. In order to develop a comprehensive Government-wide
approach to these issues that is data-driven, uses effective
prevention and care interventions, engages families and
communities, supports research and data collection, and mobilizes
both public and private sector resources, I direct the following:
Section 1. Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS,
Violence Against Women and Girls, and Gender-related Health
Disparities. There is established within the Executive Office
of the President a Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS,
Violence Against Women and Girls, and Gender-related Health
Disparities (Working Group), to be co-chaired by the White House
Advisor on Violence Against Women and the Director of the Office
of National AIDS Policy (Co-Chairs). Within 60 days of the date
of this memorandum, the Co-Chairs shall convene the first meeting
of the Working Group.
(a) In addition to the Co-Chairs, the Working Group shall
consist of representatives from:
(i) the Department of Justice;
(ii) the Department of the Interior;
(iii) the Department of Health and Human Services;
(iv) the Department of Education;
(v) the Department of Homeland Security;
(vi) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
(vii) the Department of Housing and Urban
Development; and
(viii) the Office of Management and Budget.
(b) The Working Group shall consult with the Presidential
Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, as appropriate.
(c) The Department of State, the United States Agency for
International Development, and the President’s Emergency Plan
for AIDS Relief Gender Technical Working Group shall act in an
advisory capacity to the Working Group, providing information on
lessons learned and evidence-based best practices based on their
global experience addressing issues involving the intersection
between HIV/AIDS and violence against women.
Sec. 2. Mission and Functions of the Working Group. (a)
The Working Group shall coordinate agency efforts to address
issues involving the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence against
women and girls, and gender-related health disparities. Such
efforts shall include, but not be limited to:
(i) increasing government and public awareness
of the need to address the intersection of HIV/AIDS,
violence against women and girls, and gender-related
health disparities, including sexual and reproductive
health and access to health care;
(ii) sharing best practices, including demonstration
projects and international work by agencies, as well
as successful gender-specific strategies aimed at
addressing risks that influence women’s and girls’
vulnerability to HIV infection and violence;
(iii) integrating sexual and reproductive health
services, gender-based violence services, and HIV/AIDS
services, where research demonstrates that doing so
will result in improved and sustained health outcomes;

(iv) emphasizing evidence-based prevention
activities that engage men and boys and highlight their
role in the prevention of violence against women and
HIV/AIDS infection;
(v) facilitating opportunities for partnerships
among diverse organizations from the violence against
women and girls, HIV/AIDS, and women’s health
communities to address the intersection of these
issues;
(vi) ensuring that the needs of vulnerable and
underserved groups are considered in any efforts to
address issues involving the intersection of HIV/AIDS,
violence against women and girls, and gender-related
health disparities;
(vii) promoting research to better understand the
intersection of the biological, behavioral, and social
sciences bases for the relationship between increased
HIV/AIDS risk, domestic violence, and gender-related
health disparities; and
(viii) prioritizing, as appropriate, the efforts
described in paragraphs (a)(i)-(vii) of this section
with respect to women and girls of color, who represent
the majority of females living with and at risk for HIV
infection in the United States.
(b) The Working Group shall annually provide the President
recommendations for updating the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
In addition, the Working Group shall provide information on:
(i) coordinated actions taken by the Working Group
to meet its objectives and identify areas where the
Federal Government has achieved integration and
coordination in addressing the intersection of
HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, and
gender-related health disparities;
(ii) alternative means of making available
gender-sensitive health care for women and girls
through the integration of HIV/AIDS prevention and
care services with intimate partner violence prevention
and counseling as well as mental health and trauma
services;
(iii) specific, evidence-based goals for addressing
HIV among women, including HIV-related disparities
among women of color, to inform the National HIV/AIDS
Strategy Implementation Plan (for its biannual review);
(iv) research and data collection needs regarding
HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, and
gender-related health disparities to help develop more
comprehensive data and targeted research (disaggregated
by sex, gender, and gender identity, where
practicable); and
(v) existing partnerships and potential areas of
collaboration with other public or nongovernmental
actors, taking into consideration the types of
implementation or research objectives that other
public or nongovernmental actors may be particularly
well-situated to accomplish.
Sec. 3. Outreach. Consistent with the objectives of this
memorandum and applicable law, the Working Group, in addition
to regular meetings, shall conduct outreach with representatives
of private and nonprofit organizations, State, tribal, and local
government agencies, elected officials, and other interested
persons to assist the Working Group in developing a detailed
set of recommendations.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) The heads of agencies
shall assist and provide information to the Working Group,
consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to carry out
the functions of the Working Group. Each agency and office shall
bear its own expense for carrying out activities related to the
Working Group.
(b) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair
or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive
department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget relating to budgetary,
administrative, or legislative proposals.
(c) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(d) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the
United States, its departments, agencies, or entities,
its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(e) The Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA
## #


Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment
 
 

Enjoy this piece?

… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.

NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.

Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.

COMMENTARY

‘Total Breakdown’: House Sends Members Home – Experts Warn ‘Republicans Can’t Govern’ And Have No ‘Working Majority’

Published

2 hours ago

on

September 21, 2023

By

Nine days before an increasingly-likely shutdown of the federal government of the United States, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has effectively adjourned the House for the rest of the week, with GOP leadership telling members they may go home and come back next week, after a procedural vote to fund the Dept. of Defense failed for the second time this week.

Fox News’ Chad Pergram reports, “Note that the House has not officially dismissed everyone.. but everyone expects they are done for the week. Why? They House lacks the VOTES TO ADJOURN.”

He later added that “Things are very fluid,” and “there could be votes TOMORROW or this weekend still in the house. This could be a problem if some members already got on flights.”

Fox News online is reporting, “House abruptly cancels votes for the week without spending deal after series of defeats for GOP leaders,” and notes members are not expected back until Tuesday.

READ MORE: ‘Just Want to Burn the Whole Place Down’: McCarthy Rails Against House Republicans as GOP Conference Explodes in Chaos

McCarthy this week has repeatedly denigrated and attacked the extremist members of the House Republican conference on camera to reporters, and Thursday was no different, saying, “This is a whole new concept of individuals that just want to burn the whole place down.”

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) blasted House Republicans upon hearing the House was about to adjourn for the week.

“What you need to understand is that chaos is the point for a big chunk of House Republicans. They came to congress to BURN THE GOVERNMENT TO THE GROUND,” the Connecticut Democrat wrote. “Their goal is a shutdown.”

The sentiment is being echoed by political experts, but many of those are placing the blame on Speaker McCarthy.

Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett, senior advisor to former Obama Cabinet secretary Julián Castro Thursday afternoon wrote: “Reminder: Kevin McCarthy could put a clean bill to fund the government on the floor right now and it would pass easily. Instead, he’s sending members home for the weekend with 9 days until a shutdown—all because he’s afraid he’ll lose his job.”

Evidence that the far-right extremist House Republicans, led by U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) are effectively in control comes via Punchbowl News co-founder Jake Sherman:

At 1:13 PM ET Sherman posted that Rep. Gaetz had “just emerged from” Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s suite. “Gaetz said that he’s advocating for pausing consideration of the Pentagon spending bill and moving to bills that cut spending. He mentioned: State-Foreign Ops, Agriculture, Energy and Water.”

READ MORE: Pete Buttigieg Just Testified Before Congress. It Did Not Go Well for Republicans.

Sherman noted that Gaetz “said again there are not enough votes” for a continuing resolution, legislation to keep the government open temporarily, possibly 30 days past the September 30 deadline.

“Just to review, the plan right now is to begin passing 11 appropriations bills with relatively open rules allowing for amendments between next tues (possibly wed) and Sunday.”

At 2:40 PM, Sherman added, “This is now the strategy. They’re going to bring up individual approps [appropriations] bills next week, per lawmakers who just met with @SpeakerMcCarthy.”

Congressman Gaetz’s “strategy is now house gop’s plan, Sherman wrote, to which Gaetz replied: “God Bless America.”

Others were less pleased.

Veteran foreign policy journalist Laura Rozen wrote: “truly insane. Mccarthy surrendered to Gaetz.”

Even before McCarthy adjourned the House for the rest of the week, political experts had warned the volatile situation was worse than it may have appeared.

Sherman, late Thursday morning, issued this warning on social media after the failed Defense Dept. vote: “Just to put this in context, republicans cannot even agree to debate the pentagon spending bill. This bill usually passes by big margins. It failed twice this week. Kevin mccarthys House Republicans are in a state of crisis.”

READ MORE: ‘Good Riddance’: Experts Blame Rupert Murdoch for ‘Intellectual and Moral Decay’ of America, Issue Warning on Future

Josh Chafetz, Georgetown Law professor of law and politics, responded to Thursday’s failed Defense Dept. procedural vote, writing: “if you can’t pass the procedural stuff you don’t have a working majority.”

Aaron Fritschner, the Deputy Chief of Staff to U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) is calling the state of the GOP House a “total breakdown.”

“I started working in the House nearly 11 years ago, I’ve seen some crazy days and some chaotic votes but never seen anything like what is happening with this majority. Just a total breakdown,” he wrote Thursday morning.

Professor and American historian Aaron Astor on Thursday asked, “Does the GOP actually have a working majority in the House?”

Veteran journalist John Harwood quickly replied, “clearly not.”

 

Continue Reading

News

‘Just Want to Burn the Whole Place Down’: McCarthy Rails Against House Republicans as GOP Conference Explodes in Chaos

Published

4 hours ago

on

September 21, 2023

By

Speaker Kevin McCarthy unleashed his anger against his own House Republican conference Thursday as chaos erupted after yet another procedural vote on a defense spending bill failed and the clock ticks closer to a GOP-caused shutdown of the federal government.

McCarthy “failed a crucial test Thursday of his ability to unite his fractured Republican caucus as he tries to rally support to pass a spending bill aimed at avoiding a government shutdown at the end of the month,” CNBC adds.

“It’s frustrating in the sense that I don’t understand why anybody votes against bringing the idea and having the debate, and then you got all the amendments and if you don’t like the bill,” McCarthy admitted to reporters in what has increasingly become opportunities for him to trash the most far-right Republicans in the House.

“This is a whole new concept of individuals that just want to burn the whole place down,” he lamented. “It doesn’t work.”

“This is really unheard of,” CNBC’s Emily Wilkins reported. “I mean just a rule going down as a procedural thing, that’s pretty rare as is, and for it to happen twice in one week. Last night Republicans came ut of their all hands on deck Republican meeting. A number of them sounded optimistic about moving forward.”

READ MORE: Pete Buttigieg Just Testified Before Congress. It Did Not Go Well for Republicans.

Thursday failed procedural vote “really did catch Speaker McCarthy by surprise,” Wilkins added.

“He said he did not realize there were not going to be the votes to move forward on this.”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

 

Continue Reading

News

Pete Buttigieg Just Testified Before Congress. It Did Not Go Well for Republicans.

Published

5 hours ago

on

September 21, 2023

By

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday, where he was forced to educate Republicans on a wide variety of topics, from climate change to not needing passports to fly domestically, to subsidies for oil and gas companies.

In one heated back-and-forth, U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), who has been fighting a subpoena from Special Counsel Jack Smith, blamed Secretary Buttigieg specifically for “killing” the auto industry by supporting electric vehicles.

“I don’t know if you can justify or how you justify forcing my constituents to pay for EVs [electric vehicles] and EV infrastructure for coastal elites and wealthy people, but somehow you do,” Rep. Perry told Secretary Buttigieg.

“Well, I need to point out that wealthy people were specifically excluded from the Inflation Reduction Act,” Buttigieg replied.

READ MORE: ‘Good Riddance’: Experts Blame Rupert Murdoch for ‘Intellectual and Moral Decay’ of America, Issue Warning on Future

“Well,” Perry replied. “Do you dispute that two-thirds of EV owners, are owned by people over 100,000, that make over 100,000?”

Buttigieg explained that the first electric vehicles were expensive, but “that number is going down.” Perry yelled it “doesn’t matter” that the prices of the electric vehicles are going down, his constituents “can’t afford them today,” which led Buttigieg to ask why he is opposed to “cutting their costs?”

“I’m not against cutting the cost. The market should do it,” Perry replied. “But you want the government, you want my taxpayers to pay to cut the cost.”

Buttigieg then asked about subsidies for the oil and gas companies, which cost the American taxpayer billions of dollars annually.

“If you are of the view that there should be no subsidy to propulsion vehicles, then are you against oil and gas subsidies?” Buttigieg asked.

During another back-and forth, Buttigieg quelled a Republican Congressman asking him questions as he educated him on electric vehicles and why they are important.

READ MORE: ‘Grabbing the Hog During a Live Musical’: Fetterman Mocks Fox News and Boebert Over Dress Code Outrage

“Nobody wants these electric vehicles unless you’re an elite that can afford them – people in may district sure as hell don’t want them.”

“We’re doing this for three reasons, even though the EV revolution’s going to happen anyway,” Buttigieg told U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA).

“Oh, it’s a ‘revolution’ –” the Congressman interjected, before Buttigieg cut him off.

“I would love to answer your question, Congressman.”

Moments later, when Buttigieg said “climate change is real,” LaMalfa shot back, “This one’s called Autumn.”

Buttigieg made him repeat it before explaining, “yeah, that’s the seasons changing which respectfully is not the same as the climate changing.”

And when U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) appeared to be unprepared with facts and figures, Buttigieg was happy to provide them for him, upending his inquiry into the Transportation Secretary’s “private” flights.

“I knew this might come up, so I brought some numbers,” Secretary Buttigieg told Rep. Burlison. “Since getting the job, I have taken—these are estimates, give or take a couple—but I’ve taken 638 flights.”

“607 of them were commercial, 10 of them were on military aircraft such as Air Force One, and 21 were on FAA aircraft—representing about 3 percent of the flights.”

READ MORE: White House Mocks GOP With ‘Worst Person You Know’ Meme After Matt Gaetz Blames McCarthy for Shutdown

“I appreciate the chance to discuss this because I can’t help get the sense that some people want to make it sound as if I don’t travel most of the time on commercial aircraft, which of course is untrue,” Buttigieg added.

“Mr. Secretary,” Burlison continued, “I think I think the irony for most people in my district is that they’re being told that they’re going to have to convert to electric vehicles to reduce their carbon footprint. And yet, not everyone gets to travel the way that you do.”

“Just once again,” Buttigieg replied, reinforcing what he had said, “the way I usually travel is an economy class aboard an airliner like everybody else, when we do it differently, it’s often because it will save taxpayer money.”

“I’m so glad you asked this,” Buttigieg concluded, saying he was “excited to share” this information.

Watch the videos above or at this link.

 

 

 

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2020 AlterNet Media.