On January 17, USAID’s Sustainable HIV Response from Technical Assistance (SHIFT) activity, the Vietnam Authority for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) and UN Women hosted an event in Hanoi to share findings from a joint UN-VAAC gender assessment of Vietnam’s HIV response, and propagate action to address identified gaps. These identified gaps include limitations in HIV stakeholders’ understanding of the role of gender in HIV; incorrect collection and analysis of HIV service data by gender; and HIV risks and services that can be adversely affected by gender.  Nobel prize winner Dr. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi was a keynote speaker at the event and stressed that women and girls bear a greater risk of HIV infection globally and that in order to make more progress against HIV, those risks need more attention.  

So What? This event not only shared gender assessment results, but also prompted critical discussion on the role that HIV stakeholders must take to address harmful gender norms in order to overcome gender-related barriers in Vietnam’s HIV response.