The buzz in the HIV/AIDS community these days is all about the International AIDS Conference. I attended one of the conferences in 2002. It was a whirlwind of activity and I wish I had been better prepared for the magnitude of the event. After the first day of just bouncing around aimlessly I made the point of sitting down every evening with the conference guide to choose what I would do the next day. I reviewed my plans over breakfast and then headed out the door. For a week I was immersed in the international HIV/AIDS community. I engaged in dialogue with people from around the world; my room mate was from Israel and she opened my eyes to challenges I had never thought about before. We were staying in a university dormitory with a few hundred other conference attendees. It was very exciting with conversations going well into the night.

(more…)

For the last few years I have served on PWN’s board of directors. We have at times been a small group, with directors coming and going, but we always sought diverse representation and participation of HIV+ women. It has been a satisfying experience and I know I will run for election again in the future.

My first foray into sitting on a board of directors was with the Canadian AIDS Society 10 years ago. I was nominated by my peers and encouraged to give it a try, so I did and much to my surprise, I was elected. I was curious and eager to be involved. I also had no idea what I was getting into! Thankfully I had joined a very supportive board of directors who modeled for me a whole new set of skills. It was at times painful and I often felt awkward, but with perseverance and observation I learned the protocol and felt my confidence growing.

For me, the largest challenge of board work was defining what I was doing – what does a board of directors do? What does a director do? I needed to figure that out for myself and put it into my own words before I could trust my ability to contribute. I reckon board work involves accounting to and representing the membership, overseeing the society’s budget, observing and (when appropriate) evaluating staff performance, appraising potential research and community projects, participating in fundraising, and representing the society in public. I feel most competent as a director when I am attentive to the voices brought to the table and when I have informed myself of the current and emerging issues.

I have always felt a need to volunteer and this need has been expressed in various ways over the years. Sitting on a board is something I enjoy and it engages both my interests and my skills set. It requires me to look at the ‘bigger picture’ while keeping an eye on the details. For example, I am primarily engaged with safe and affordable housing advocacy. I join protests in keeping with my code of ethics, and I try to educate and stir up compassion in others. PWN has portable housing subsidies and I got involved with board work pertaining to these subsidies. Did you know that the money raised for PWN during the AIDS Walk goes towards these subsidies? The details are me staying informed and active; and the bigger picture is my board work around housing research and policy.

I feel confident of the work I did while on PWN’s board and I am excited to see what the new board does in the coming years. I leave with nothing but the best of memories and desire for more.

- Monique

The Annual General Meeting of Positive Women’s Network’s will take place on June 29.  
  

There has been a flurry of events in recent weeks aimed at connecting immigrants and refugees with the health and social services that are available.  At PWN, finding a way to reach immigrant women who are living with or at risk for HIV is like the Holy Grail.  I had the distinct (and somewhat accidental) pleasure of attending three recent intercultural events.  All were successful events at which I learned a lot and make some connections that I think will be useful in future.  But I came home with dozens of business cards, highlighted notes, and ideas that are completely disconnected, and it got me thinking about Canadian multiculturalism, the joys and challenges of Vancouver’s diversity, and the overwhelming sense of disconnectedness that newcomers must feel.

(more…)

 
For women with HIV who are contemplating pregnancy, thankfully there’s great care and support here in BC. With medical care and HIV treatment, the likelihood of having a baby with HIV is less than 1%. Dr. Jack Forbes of Oak Tree Clinic reported at the recent CAHR conference on perinatal infection rates in Canada between 1997 and 2009, and for women who took the full recommended treatment during pregnancy, the transmission rate was0.7%. 

Positive women are having multiple healthy children and enjoying the joys and challenges of parenting. But being an HIV+ mom and dealing with questions from people who might not know about HIV can be stressful. Questions around breastfeeding alone can be tricky for women who haven’t disclosed to everyone in their community and wish to maintain their confidentiality.

(more…)

Today’s a BIG day for the PWN Health Promotion department.  It has been two years since we decided to take the plunge into the world of social networking, and this, my friends, is our 100th Blog Post!  To mark the occasion, we’ve pulled up a list of “greatest hits” for your enjoyment, and for those readers who, like me, forget what they’ve read until they run into it again …

(more…)

We all have three very basic needs which must be met for us to survive; these are clean water, nutritious food and safe shelter. These are of course the most basic of needs and they are for the survival of our bodies. What about the survival of our minds? How about the survival of our spirits? What about going beyond surviving and actually thriving? Then what’s needed? Only you can answer that last question for yourself. I know what I need to thrive. Actually, I’m learning what I need to thrive because I really don’t have all the answers.

(more…)

Next week is Prevention of Violence Against Women Week (April 19th to 26th, 2010), so naturally we at Positive Women’s Network decided to blog about it.  The rates of violence against women in BC and Canada are discouraging to say the least.  For some of these statistics, visit The Violence Stops Here.  I’ve been surfing the web looking for events and activities around the province and I want to highlight a few.  Of course, this is just a snippet of what’s going on, but it’s encouraging to see so many groups organizing and hosting amazing initiatives to raise awareness and get people mobilized against gendered violence.

(more…)

The days are getting longer (we did just “spring ahead” after all), the sun shines now and again, and my hay fever is driving me crazy … yes, it must be Spring. At Positive Women’s Network, that means SpringBoard! Join us for our annual conference, on Thursday April 22nd, from 4:00pm onward, at the Century Plaza Hotel (1015 Burrard St) in Vancouver.

(more…)

 “What do you want to be remembered for?”
“Kindness.”

So answered wacky, over the top comedienne Phyllis Diller to interviewer Jian Ghomeshi earlier this week on CBC radio. I came in late on the broadcast, but I caught that gem at the end, simply and gently stated.

I first saw Phyllis Diller when I was a kid- her wild hair, long cigarette holder, and her raucous laughter that was often at herself. That vivid persona has stuck with me. When I heard her say she wants to be remembered for kindness, it was a lovely comment on what matters.

BC Persons with AIDS Society’s upcoming AccolAIDS is more than a comment on what matters, it’s an awards evening that honours volunteers, paid staff, visionaries, activists and consistent supportive voices who work on behalf of people living with HIV.

(more…)

Hello Everyone!

My name is Jessica Wadsworth and I am very pleased to join the team here at Positive Women’s Network. My official title is Casual Resource Coordinator, which means that I’ll be working intermittently at the PWN office, assisting with social media communications, writing for PWN’s quarterly publications and finding ways to get all of the wonderful resources available here out to all of you. I’m really looking forward to getting to know all of you – or your avatars as the case may be.

(more…)