Athena Network

ATHENA Network is a Global network advancing gender equity and human rights through the HIV response, by and with those most affected. In 2000, at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, a group of women’s rights advocates found that there was no place for women living with and researching HIV to meet. So, they organised the 2000 “Women at Durban”, the 2002 “Women at Barcelona” and the “Women at Bangkok”. ATHENA grew from these networking sessions, and has since 2020 transitionned to become an African based global network. ATHENA is guided by the principles outlined in the 2002 Barcelona Bill of Rights and has been at the forefront of movement-building and leadership for gender equity and human rights in the HIV response since 2006. ATHENA Network’s Vision is to be collaborators in creating a world where everyone has the right, dignity, and agency to enjoy equality, health, and safety. Their Mission is to advance gender equity and human rights across global health; To bring forward feminist leadership. ATHENA’s work approach is one that builds leaders amongst their target groups (which are primarily network members as well as Focal Points in the countries they operate in), and thereby collectively, advocate for the rights, health, safety, dignity, and inclusion of AGYW, and gender diverse persons. They do so through campaigns, traning, mobilisation and advocacy, such as their campaign #WhatWomenWant, which resulted in the ATHENA Network’s Collective Vision for #FeministFutures HIV Young Feminist Declaration for the 2021 High Level Meeting on AIDS: “End Equality. End AIDS”, for the first time, explicitly outlining the urgent need to end all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls. ATHENA members bring expertise across policy development, participatory action research, advocacy, programming, youth involvement, meaningful engagement, leadership development, and consultation, while ensuring and advancing local accountability.