Abuja, Nigeria, 19 - 22 August — Y+ Global, the chosen funding partner for the recently launched initiative in collaboration with TB Women and supported by the Global Fund, GSK, and ViiV Healthcare, organised a consortium and inception meeting with consortium partners, civil society organisations, and government departments and agencies in the country's capital.
The Gender Equality Fund (GEF) was established to monitor progress towards gender equality. Faced with immense challenges from a global pushback against gender and human rights, initiatives like the GEF are crucial in addressing the barriers that many women and girls often face: vulnerability to infection, barriers to health information and services, and a lack of decision-making power and control over resources.
The consortium planning meeting lasted two days. During this time, each organisation worked and strategised on how to align its efforts to support the engagement and leadership of women, girls, and gender-diverse communities in decision-making processes at the national level. Those partners included the African Network of Adolescents and Young Persons Development (ANAYD), Civil Societies For Malaria Elimination (CS4ME), TB Women, Lawyers Alert, and the Rainbow Alliance Health Initiatives.
Civil society partners such as the Association of Positive Youths in Nigeria (APYIN), Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), US-PEPFAR, UNAIDS, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), and many others also joined the meeting.
Women and girls are one of the most marginalised and high-risk communities with limited access to quality healthcare services for HIV, TB, Malaria, and sexual reproductive health. They continue to face persistent gender inequalities and harmful gender norms that restrict their rights to access life-saving services. The Gender Equality Fund seeks to address this by promoting women's and girls' rights by engaging men, boys, and community leaders in various grassroots activities.
“The Gender Equality Fund will support community-led organisations in HIV, TB and Malaria to implement gender-transformative approaches and overcome those barriers that restrict women, girls, and gender-diverse communities from accessing quality and affordable healthcare.”Maximina Jokonya
Executive Director of Y+ Global
[From left to right: Maximina Jokonya, Executive Director of Y+ Global, leading the opening session; Group photo with the Y+ Global team]
During the meeting, the partners discussed the obstacles and challenges in the healthcare system and suggested solutions whilst sharing their progress with the network of affiliates to better understand how to address gaps in healthcare services and resource allocation for the sustainable implementation of the GEF program.
Under the oversight of Cindy Amaiza, the newly appointed HER Voice Fund Coordinator, and Grace Hawawu, the Gender Equality Fund Officer, and with the support of ANAYD, the country lead, Y+ Global is set to expand the HER Voice Fund Model to encompass Nigeria. This expansion will help empower young women and girls, enabling them to advocate for gender-transformative programs, policies, and approaches to enhance health outcomes across HIV, TB, and Malaria.
“This initiative is all about putting women and girls first. It’s about giving them the platform to lead and create real change. Together, we can make the Gender Equality Fund a reality and start transforming the programming of HIV, TB and Malaria by recognising AGYW in their diversity as key stakeholders. Women and girls affected by TB and HIV will not only be empowered to take on leadership roles but also gain the knowledge and access they need to advocate for their rights and be part of local decision-making.”Cindy Amaiza
HER Voice Fund Coordinator
Later this year, the consortium will issue a Request for Proposals targeting Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) and youth-led/serving organisations to apply for small grants in five states across the country that will further the mission of the Gender Equality Fund. In addition, two AGYW Ambassadors will be recruited to support gender mainstreaming in TB and Malaria programming and promote visibility for the GEF in Nigeria.
In parallel, TB Women will establish the TB and Malaria Leadership Academy to enhance the knowledge and capabilities of AGYW and the HER Voice Fund (HVF)/GEF grantees. This initiative will focus on addressing TB, Malaria, gender inequalities, gender-transformative approaches, and gender mainstreaming. CS4ME will provide technical assistance across the model in Nigeria and extend support to the TB Women Leadership Academy.
The consortium expressed gratitude to the Global Fund, GSK, and ViiV Healthcare for their unwavering support in eliminating gender-related barriers. Furthermore, recognition was given to ANAYD, CS4ME, TB Women, and all partners in Nigeria who contributed to the successful establishment of the Gender Equality Fund.