History and Overview

National Federation of Women Living with HIV and AIDS (NFWLHA) is a woman led organization which came into being following a discourse on the need for gender equality amongst the People Living with HIV (PLHIV) community in 2006 through an informal network called Women Network against HIV and AIDS in Nepal. Since past 14 years, after its establishment on 2007, federation is able to bring about some tangible changes among the women living with HIV and AIDS. The changes can be realized in terms of their empowerment level. The same women, who were, not even, able talk to anyone could, now, address the mass, lead the organization from local level to national level, with their disclosed status, though we are not taking the absolute credibility. Since NFWLHA is by and for women living with HIV and AIDS, we are also able to unite WLHA’s in National level and still on the run. But still there’s a long road ahead. WLHA stands behind layers of stigma, discrimination and among one of the most disadvantageous group. These are already poor people who were further diminished by the virus. So we extremely believe that without developing their capacity economically and socially, any interventions of treatment care and support, which is of immense need though, cannot succeed. First of all we need to break the great wall of poverty. NFWLHA has extended its networking to 35 districts, covering almost all provinces, with over 25-member organizations -all led by Women living with HIV (WLHIV), with more than 51% WLHIV in executive board and general members. This situation can be argued as a gender biased approach too, but in a situation where WLHIV has been intensely pushed back in accessing services and resources; there was an urgent need for affirmative steps to bring them forward.

Member organization