Engaging Advocates

GCM is a diverse network of advocates and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working to expand HIV prevention options and encourage ethical research that involves civil society. Founded in 1998, it serves as an interface between the scientific establishment and citizens whose lives will be influenced by HIV prevention research – whether as eventual users of new prevention tools, trial participants, taxpayers and/or individuals at risk of, or living with, HIV/AIDS.

GCM’s partner organisations are located all over the world. Please click on the following regions to visit our regional sections and see what activities are going on in the following places. Please click below:

Region

Africa

Europe

India

North America

Advocates and Microbicides Development

In order to undertake effective advocacy in all regions and ensure that civil society is engaged in all phases of microbicides development GCM convened a civil society working group in 2008. The working group produced a report identifying the resources and actions needed to move from the then level of advocates’ engagement to what is needed for civil society to become a full-partner in microbicides development. This report serves to complement the Microbicide Development Strategy (MDS) published in 2006 to serve as a prioritisation framework for decision-making by funders, researchers and developers.

A copy of this can be found here:

Read the full report (600 KB)

Read the executive summary (600 KB)

Learn more about the original MDS process at the Alliance for Microbicide Development website.

Upcoming Events: Global

Microbicides: The herstory of a movement
Thursday, 11 June 2009

RSVP to rectalmicro@gmail.com to receive the toll-free dial-in information.

If you ever wanted to know how the microbicides movement got started from two of the women who were there from the beginning, this is the teleconference for you.

•How did microbicides get their name?

•What early role did the women's movement play in advocating for female-initiated HIV prevention methods?

•How did rectal microbicides advocacy get started in the mid-1990s?

•How did advocates successfully get funding for microbicide research in Europe and North America?

•What lessons can we learn from early microbicide advocacy campaigns?

Join us for an important discussion on the story before the headlines and learn the context of this incredible movement that we're all a part of today. Because if you don't know the past, it's hard to understand the present, let alone advocate for the future!

Lori Heise, founding Director of the Global Campaign for Microbicides, will speak about her experience over the past 15 years advocating for microbicides, early watershed moments and the field that's emerged worldwide.

Anna Forbes, Deputy Directory of the Global Campaign for Microbicides, will present on the role of civil society in Europe and North America over the past decade to build awareness and help raise millions to dramatically increase funding for microbicide research. She will also discuss early efforts to get gay men and MSM involved in rectal microbicide advocacy that helped plant the seeds for what is IRMA today.

Join IRMA and the Global Campaign for Microbicides for an International Teleconference, Thursday, 11 June 2009 at: