Intersections of

faith, gender and

HIV
Days of focus
Ecumenical Institute Bossey
October 31, 2022

Gracia Violeta Ross

EHAIA Programme Executive
Ross.Gracia@wcc-coe.org
EHAIA = Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy.

• Started in 1998 in response to the demand of churches

in Africa. It was an african initiative from 2002-2013

• In the 10th WCC Assembly in Busan (2013), EHAIA

received the mandate to expand beyond Africa. Some
activities were carried in Jamaica, Myanmar, Philipines
and Ukraine.
EHAIA`s mission is to empower faith
leaders, theologians and Christians
through education, knowledge and
skills to become channels and agents
of hope, justice and peace and to
promote the recognition, respect and
recovery of human dignity for all as
God’s gift.
 Commitments

• EDUCATION based in evidence, comprehensive approach, using

liturgy and exisiting means. Involving members of congregations,
church-related organisations, people living with HIV, health workers,
NGO and other stakeholders.

• Adoption of the SAVE approach (Safer practices, Availability of

medication, Voluntary counselling and testing, Empowerment
though Education). Use methodologies such as Contextual Bible
Studies and transformative masculinites and femeninities.

• In relation to ADVOCACY, EHAIA committed to work with EAA

(Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance) and with INERELA (International
Network of Religiuos Leaders living with or affected by HIV). Use of
sustainable development agenda as the basis. Lobby, and promotion
of recognition of comprehensive sexual reproductive health
education in congregations.
 Commitments

•Ensure PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV are accompanied

and are actively involved.
•Stimulate a GLOBAL THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION
and ethical reflection, dialogue and exchange on
issues related to HIV.
•In relation to TRAINING, mainstream HIV in
theological training.
•Regarding the SPIRITUAL LIFE, use the SAVE
approach and combat SSDDIM (stigma, silence,
denial, discrimination, inaction and
misinformation)
 Best strategies used

•Contextual Bible Study

•Intergenerational conversation
•Safe spaces
•Theological reflection and curricula
•Promotion of Thrusdays in Black
campaign
• Mental health and COVID-19
Five offices in Africa: Angola, Kenya,
DRC, Togo, Zimbabwe
Intersectionality (Kimberle Chrenshaw)
What does this means in HIV?
Motherhood and HIV
Transgender women living with HIV
 Some questions about the intersections
• FAITH: What do we teach about the
vulnerable and needy? What do we preach
about illness and disease? How do we
practice holistic healing?

• GENDER:What we learn from society about

masculine and femenine and what this
means for those who are not there?
Faith Gender
• HIV: Who are the populations most
affected? How do we respond to the
challenge of HIV prevention with issues
that might have been called «sins»?
HIV
 Pick one dilemma and respond in pairs: What do
you think the church should do in this case?
• The moral goal versus the safer practice: The sex worker might be doing everything the church says we
should not do including using condoms and that is why she is protected. The wife is doing everything
the church says including being faithful to her husband and having sex with him, and then she is
exposed to HIV and unwanted pregnancies.

• HIV care versus HIV prevention: The church cares for those living with HIV but only when they became
HIV positive. The majority of the Christian community is resists to work on HIV prevention.

• Theology of sin versus theology of grace: HIV had been posponed from many Christian contexts and of
other faiths, arguing it is a consequence of personal sins. The Bible also speaks about the sin of not
doing the right thing and about the responsability of the Christian community to provide information to
the children of God.
• Compassionate care versus comprehensive prevention: HIV needs comprehensive programs, this
means, we have to talk about sex, alcohol and drug abuse, gender violence and role of women. This
means we need compassionate and comprehensive care.

• The vulnerable revised: The HIV epidemic is affecting populations that are traditionally viewed as living
in the margins, therefore, populations that are already discriminated, stigmatized and unserved: SEX
WORKERS, GAY MEN, TRANSGENDER WOMEN, YOUNG PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS AND
MIGRANTS.

• Young people and sex: Many leaders think young people should NOT have information about sex
because that will prevent them from becoming promiscous. The reality is we live in a sexualized world
and sex offers are all over the place for young people. Young people are not receiving information from
their parents, schools and pastors, but they have misinformation form the internet.
 The gender-HIV dilemmas for the faith
communities
Regarding these topics of GENDER, what are we teaching and what consequences do those
teachings have?

• Teachings of the role of women, men and responsability to

reduce gender based violence.

• Teachings and attitudes towards gay men, transgender

women and sex workers.

• Sexuality for pleasure and sexuality for reproduction. Sex as

a sin.

• Use of contraceptive methods, specially condoms.