In this context, we urge the Government to reaffirm and rededicate its leadership to fulfilling earlier commitments on women's rights issues represented by the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Similarly, in anticipation of Beijing+10 in 2005, we urge all members of society - Governments, UN system, bilateral and multilateral agencies, media, civil society organisations, private sector, political parties in India to secure their commitment to the 12-point Plan of Action to advance women's rights and entitlements.

It is significant the Committee on CEDAW has called upon the Governments to go beyond simply passing laws and implement measures that can eliminate the bias that makes it difficult for women living HIV to access and claim their rights.

In the light of the demands raised above, we urge the Government to be truly multi-sectoral in their strategies and programmes aimed at women living with HIV and incorporate the following entitlements and rights in the National Planning process, including the Tenth Plan. We demand:

• Enhance the greater involvement and representation of women living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA) in all decision-making processes as well as in the formulation of policies and programmes related to HIV positive women;
• Promote women's access to care, support and free treatment, as well as primary, reproductive and sexual health services, including quality and gender-sensitive counselling;
• Grant access to information on services and treatment of opportunistic infections for women living with HIV; sensitise and train larger number of health-care providers at the District and Taluk level in opportunistic infections specific for women living with HIV and AIDS. Integrate PPTCT programme with the Reproductive Child Health care at the State, District and Taluk level;
• Address the speical needs of children living with HIV and also those living with positive parents by ensuring nutrition, education and make available a special ARV dosage for positive children;
• Guarantee the availability of and access to preventive information about HIV/AIDS, which must include education about positive living to every woman, especially in rural areas across the country;
• Ensure socio-economic rights of women living with HIV/AIDS at the family and community levels, increase women's access to income generating programmes and policies, including access to loans, credit, and social security by giving special consideration to women living with HIV/AIDS and including them in the category of entitled groups in all socio-economic schemes of the Government across departments, ministries and all levels;
• Urge a prompt and comprehensive review of laws to include women's rights to inheritance, custody, property, and maintenance; Review gender-biased laws and policies, in the public and private sectors, to ensure the rights of women living with HIV/AIDS, particularly those in vulnerable communities (e.g. sex workers and injecting drug users);
• Enforce rights-based approach by eliminating all forms of gender-based violence, including domestic violence, which increases women's vulnerability to HIV;
• Promote an environment where women living with HIV/AIDS are guaranteed the right to education, right to employment, equal wages and quality child care, the right to choose their spouse, number of children and methods of contraception.