In Botswana IWHC supports Bomme Isago Association (BIA), which exists to improve the well-being of women and children living with HIV and AIDS and to promote their rights.  The values of Bomme Isago Association are love, unity, commitment, respect, transparency, trust, and consultation.  The organization’s mandate is to institute an environment that supports the needs of women and children living with HIV/AIDS by ensuring that HIV/AIDS policies and legislation respect and uphold the human rights of women and children living with HIV/AIDS.  Bomme Isago Association also aims at empowering women with knowledge that will enrich their lives and enable them to make informed decisions.

BIA's projects include:

• A membership network of Women Living With HIV/AIDS (WLWHA) in Botswana in order to effectively influence SRRH and HIV/AIDS policies and programs 
• Advocacy capacity trainings in order to foster WLWHA leadership at the local and national level
• Facilitation and convening meetings between BIA’s network and members of parliament (MPs) in Botswana
• Collaboration with the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA) to hold Reproductive Health and Rights workshops for positive mothers and women

BIA founder Grace Sedio has this to say about her work:

"During the last three weeks, I was in the field in Botswana. I came across a project working with women who are pregnant and living with HIV.  The project intends to provide these women with psychosocial support by linking them with other women who are mothers living with HIV and trained counselors.  The women who work as counselors are asked to sign a contract in order to receive their stipend. The contract requires them to pledge to not to become pregnant while counseling for the program - violating their fundamental right to decide to have a baby or not.

My organization, Bomme Isago Association, is currently involved in monitoring sexual and reproductive health services for women living with HIV in the country.  Every day, I hear similar stories similar to this one from women throughout Botswana. "

Impact:

Members of parliament who have met with BIA have presented the concerns of women living with HIV/AIDS on the floor of the Botswana Parliament.  BIA has also informed and pressured MPs to ratify and domesticate international protocols related to women’s health and rights. 

Learn more:

• Read a blog post on RH Reality Check by Grace Sedio, When You Think of Botswana and HIV/AIDS, Think of the Women
• Read about BIA's efforts in a blog post on Our Bodies, Our Blog, Achieving Global Reproductive Justice: Recommendations from the Frontlines

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