Led by the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day emphasizes the need to improve prevention efforts and ensure equity in HIV care and treatment. 

This year’s theme of “Hope, Health and Healing: Overcoming Barriers to HIV/AIDS Treatment for Women and Girls” focuses on the challenges women and girls face in accessing HIV/AIDS treatment. The goal is to eliminate barriers such as location restrictions, stigma and lack of insurance.

Transgender women share many of these barriers as well, something worth highlighting as National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day shares the month of March with Trans Day of Visibility (March 31st). 

However, trans women face distinct HIV/AIDS-related health care obstacles. According to one recent international analysis, transgender women have 49 times the odds of having HIV compared to the general population. The Human Rights Campaign shares that among myriad other factors, discrimination by health care workers, a lack of HIV/AIDS studies inclusive of trans women and a low rate of reporting sexual violence make it more likely for transgender people to avoid getting tested and less likely to sustain HIV-related care.

We are proud to present some Give Lively member nonprofits that strive to address barriers to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment for many populations, including all women and girls. 

The nonprofits

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The Population Council 

This organization tackles intersecting inequalities that undermine rights and access to contraception, HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention, maternal and newborn health, safe abortion, prevention and treatment of infertility, and sexuality education, among other sexual and reproductive health needs. The Population Council’s research and partnerships ensure high-quality, evidence-based, voluntary and rights-based comprehensive care for sexual and reproductive health.

The Population Council links to a Give Lively-powered Core Profile page to collect donations through its website.

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Rainbow Community Center 

This organization builds community, equity and well-being among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual or agender and two-spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) people and their allies. Among its programs, Rainbow Community Center operates HIV Education & Prevention Programs with various types of outreach including HIV+ support groups and social groups.

Rainbow Community Center uses a Give Lively-powered Simple Donation Widget to accept donations directly on its website. 

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The New York City AIDS Memorial 

This nonprofit is a platform for dialogue, discussion, advocacy and direct action relating to the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic. The New York City AIDS Memorial honors the more than 100,000 New Yorkers who have died of AIDS and acknowledges the contributions of caregivers and activists who mobilized to provide care for the ill, fight discrimination, lobby for medical research and alter the drug approval process. The Memorial aims to inspire visitors to remember and reflect, as well as to empower current and future activists, health professionals and people living with HIV. Maintenance of the architecturally significant Memorial, including its educational and cultural programming, mirrors the continuing mission to eradicate the disease . 

The New York City AIDS Memorial uses a Give Lively-powered Branded Donation Widget to accept donations directly on its website. 

The Baobab Home

Founded in 2004, this small, community-focused NGO is located on a 12-acre farm outside of Bagamoyo, Tanzania. The mission of The Baobab Home is to help children from families affected by HIV/AIDS, mental illness and poverty. Although The Baobab Home started as an orphanage, it expanded its focus to help improve the Bagamoyo community when the founders saw that most children were not orphaned, but rather came from homes that could no longer support children due to issues related to HIV/AIDS, mental illness and poverty. Its approach is holistic: to come up with sustainable solutions that take into account the social, economic and psychological aspects of disadvantaged situations. In 2012, The Baobab Home expanded its services to include the Steven Tito Academy, a primary school that serves the kids of The Baobab Home and the local community by providing high-quality, safe, English-medium education to those who need it.

The nonprofit uses a Give Lively-powered fundraising page to capture donations through its website.

More nonprofits

Learn about six nonprofits working to ensure healthy lives for all