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| Issue 04/07 December 2007 |
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SPOTLIGHT ON Women with HIV: 'My Husband Infected me with HIV'
Mony Pen is the Project Manager at the Positive Women's Network, also known as the Cambodian Community of Women living with HIV/AIDS. She found out she was HIV positive when her husband fell ill just two years into their marriage. UNIFEM Singapore interviews her in this issue:
Q1. How did you get HIV?
I would like to start by saying that the HIV situation in Cambodia reflects my personal story. In Cambodia, it is very common for the majority of women living with HIV to have contracted the virus from their husbands. I contracted HIV from my husband in, perhaps, 2002.
Q2. What were your first thoughts upon finding out you were HIV positive?
I felt mad, hopeless, and kept thinking that I was going to die soon but I never blamed nor got angry with my husband. In our society, people believed that it's our Karma (sin) we did something bad, so we deserved it. I thought their perception was wrong. We were innocent, and we didn't do thing wrong except that we did not have information about HIV. I talked to my husband peacefully and asked him to stay positive in our life journey together in order to respond to AIDS, in particular, to publicly advocate for people living with HIV.
Q3. What is the hardest thing about being HIV positive in Cambodia?
The hardest thing about being HIV positive in Cambodia, and also around the world is the stigma and discrimination. This is a huge disaster which kills us even before the virus does. This leads to unemployment, being kicked out of our own homes, and lack of access to proper treatment.
Currently, the situation arround stigma in Cambodia has improved slightly. However, I can still say that people living with HIV are still not able to obtain jobs. Our involvement at various level especially at decision-making levels is merely token, and we've yet on take on greater and meaningful roles which demand for more attention from the government and donors agencies.
Q4. Is HIV infection among women a serious problem in Cambodia?
Personally, I would say yes because many women are jobless, we have lower education, low opportunity, no income, and face double stigma and discrimination, for instance, dealing with gender inequality and at the same time with HIV.
Q5. Tell us more about the Positive Women's Network and how you got involved?
I was employed by the Cambodian Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (CCW), the network which is run by and for women living with HIV in February 2007 as project manager in charge of "Strengthening HIV positive women's leadership in Cambodia ".
CCW is a national network of women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA) in
 Above: Women residing at the PWN Shelter. Mony Pen is the one with sunglasses on her head.
Q6. What are the activities of the Positive Women's Network?
1. Strengthening HIV Positive Women's Leadership in Cambodia: under this activities we provide capacity building training to members, so they're able to spell-out for their demands.
2. Income-generation activities: the Modern Dress Sewing Factory.
3. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) treatment literacy and education, for instance, treatment prepardness, and drug side-effect management.
4. Advocacy for greater and meaningful involvment of HIV women at both local and national level.
  Left: Bags that are made by the PWN Right: The Modern Dress Sewing Workshop
Q7. How can someone support the Positive Women's Network?
Everyone can support the Positive Women's Network in many ways. For instance, with our income-generation activity, they can order products from us. Secondly, they can also create an enviornment where positive women have the chance to be heard. For donors they can support our activities directly, and the government can listen to and promote more involvement of women at the national level.
Thanks Mony! We wish you all the best.
Click here for UNIFEM'S World AIDS Day Message.
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EVENT REPORT 25th Nov: End Violence Day at VIVO City
To commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, UNIFEM Singapore ran an informational booth and supporting stage activities at VIVO City. If you missed being there, attached below is a photo journal of the event. UNIFEM Singapore would like to thank all our partners and supporters in making the event possible. They are the Social Innovation Park, The Body Shop, PAVe Centre, AWARE, H.O,M.E. and MCYS.
 Live the Dream Winner FENDI opened the event with a dazzling performance that warmed hearts. Above, FENDI signs the Pledge against Violence.
 Ms Nicky Tracey, Communications and Values Director of The Body Shop, talks about campaigning against violence. To date, The Body Shop has contributed over $30,000 to the PAVe Centre in Singapore.
  Left: Ms Pang Kee Tai, from the PAVe Centre, educating the public on what is Family Violence. Right: The residents from the H.O.M.E. shelter delivered an impactful and moving pantomime on the abuse of Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore.
 A Resident from the H.O.M.E. shelter breaks down as she publicly shares her experience of being abused by her Singaporean Employers
 Members of the Public participating in Booth Activities which include Pledge-writing, quizzes and games.
 Ms Elim Chew, founder of the Social Innovation Park, sticks her personal pledge against violence on the Pledge wall. At the end of the day, over 170 Pledges were collected.
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EVENT REPORT School Talk at Republic Polytechnic
 On December 11th, 2007, UNIFEM Singapore President Saleemah Ismail spoke to over 200 students at Republic Polytechnic.
She told the students about her personal encounters with victims of trafficking and urged them to take a stand against the abuse of foreign domestic workers in Singapore.
UNIFEM Singapore is continuing with its school talk program in 2008. If your school is interested to have us speak, please email us at admin@unifemsingapore.org.sg
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ANNOUNCEMENT: Seeking Entries for the UNIFEM Photo Competition
Theme of Competition: Women and Girls from Developing Countries
Put your photos to a good cause! We are looking for photos to add to our archive for use for publicity and educational purposes. The three best entries shall receive bragging rights and a lovely 'Merry Cranberry' gift set from The Body Shop.
 Win this lovely gift set!
Rules and Regulations:
1. This competition is open to the Public.
2. Digital Photos should be at least 1MB in size, and not be digitally altered.
3. Participants may submit as many photos as possible.
4. By submitting your photo, you shall be granting UNIFEM the non-exclusive rights to photo usage.
5. Closing Date for entries is 15th January, 2008.
It doesn't matter if you're an amateur or a professional photographer. We want your photos!
By Email: contact@unifemsingapore.org.sg, Please put 'UNIFEM Photo Competition' in the subject line of your email
By Mail: Mail your photos to UNIFEM Singapore at 2 Nassim Road, Singapore 258370. We regret that photos received will not be returned.
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