Mutapola Campaign

The campaign uses the name "Mutapola", which is the name of a woman, in order to give a human face to the suffering and struggle of women and girls affected by the epidemic. The name is used to represent all women and children who need treatment and comprehensive care.

The campaign works to promote and strengthen the rights of women and girls affected by HIV/AIDS by:

• protecting the right to comprehensive treatment and care;
• protecting the right to secure livelihoods (income and assets) and the right to food;
• strengthening and building capacity, organisation, and activism of women and girls living with HIV/AIDS; and
• advocacy and campaigning for an enabling legislative environment on paper and in practice, so that women and girls can claim and exercise their rights.

According to the organisers, the project’s aim is to put puts women and girls at the centre of the response. Mutapola focuses on treatment, literacy, nutrition, and positive-living programmes; increased access to medical care; research and advocacy on health systems; and community involvement in the roll-out of treatment programmes. The campaign also works within partnerships with local, national and sub-regional organisations on the basis of solidarity, influence, and reciprocal learning.

The project website includes personal stories by people living with HIV to help raise awareness.

HIV/AIDS, Women.

The campaign was initiated by HIV/AIDS activist and musician Musa Njoko, who in 2004, had been living with HIV for a decade, along with about 200 other AIDS activists.