In this issue:
- SPEAK UP! 2018 early-bird registration discount ends TODAY!
- Support the leadership of women living with HIV as a sponsor or supporting organization of SPEAK UP! 2018
- Want to be one of our next PWN-USA Policy Fellows? Deadline is Today!
- Submit a session proposal to HIV Is Not a Crime III by Monday, Feb. 12!
- Feb. 26: HIV Criminalization First Responders series final webinar
- Join Us in Washington, D.C., for AIDSWatch
- PWN-USA Is Hiring! Seeking Deputy Director
Early-Bird Registration Discount for SPEAK UP! 2018 Ends Today. Last Chance to Save!
Women and people of trans experience living with HIV across the nation can’t wait for SPEAK UP! 2018, the only national leadership summit by and for women living with HIV, happening April 12-15 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Click on one of the images above to hear what PWNers Maria Mejia, Stacy Jennings and Olga Irwin have to say about the upcoming Summit!
Women living with HIV from 25 states, Washington, DC, and Canada are already registered. Join folks from your state or make sure your state gets represented!
But today is the last day to take advantage of our special discounted early bird registration! Your $200 registration fee, which includes 3 nights of shared accommodations at the DoubleTree Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort, meals and snacks and all training materials, is well below the cost of most conferences and is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors.
If you have already held your spot with a deposit, you’ll need to complete payment before midnight today in order to keep the early bird rate. The registration rate will increase to $250 on Feb. 10, so don’t miss your chance to save! We also have helpful fundraising tips available here, including a template of a letter you can use to request funds from agencies, clinics, organizations or individuals. If you work or volunteer with or get services from an agency or organization, you may want to ask them to sponsor a group of 5 or more women (including yourself!) to attend SPEAK UP! 2018 at a special discounted rate.
Support Leadership Development and Community of Women Living with HIV as a SPEAK UP! 2018 Sponsor or Supporting Organization!
PWN-USA is committed to ensuring women living with HIV from communities most impacted by the epidemic are able to participate. But to do that, we need your help!
Your support will cover lodging, meals and other participation costs for low-income women and people of trans experience living with HIV. Further, your support will allow us to resource high-quality panels, workshops and breakout activities for participants. We have several levels of sponsorship available, which include placement in our special 10th anniversary keepsake program. Get the details and sign up as a sponsor here.
Thank you to our sponsors at AIDS United, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, Ford Foundation, Housing Works and MAC AIDS Fund for your generous support!
We are also inviting organizations working with women and people of trans experience living with HIV to be supporting organizations by sponsoring groups of 5 or more women to participate in SPEAK UP! 2018 at a special discounted group rate. Register today and get an extra early bird discount! (Names and information for sponsored participants may be submitted later, by Feb. 28. Register now to lock in the early bird group discount.)
Deadline to Apply for the PWN-USA Policy Fellowship: TODAY!
TODAY is the last day to apply for the second year of our Policy Fellowship for women and folks of trans experience living with HIV (WLHIV)! The goal of the yearlong Fellowship is to increase participants’ ability to engage effectively in federal policy and advocacy. In the current political environment marred by threats to sexual and reproductive rights, basic health care, the social safety net and civil and human rights, it is critical that our community is equipped with a wide array of tools to support vibrant, visionary and strategic advocacy on behalf of their communities.
The fellowship is open to all women living with HIV, including women of trans experience. We especially encourage applications from those who are: young, Black, Latinx, immigrant, LGB, trans and gender nonconforming, low-income, and/or reside in the 
South. All applicants should possess a strong desire to effect meaningful change in the lives of other WLHIV to apply. Check out our current class of fellows here!
“Becoming a PWN policy fellow was an inspiring and phenomenal experience. It’s an experience every woman should embark upon, because you learn so much about policy on many levels that will assist you in knowing your rights and the rights of others,” said Stacy Jennings, a current PWN-USA policy fellow.
Learn more and apply for the policy fellowship here.
Have an Idea for a Session for HIV Is Not a Crime III? Submit It by Monday!
The HIV Is Not a Crime III Training Academy, co-convened by SERO Project and Positive Women’s Network – USA, unites and trains advocates living with HIV and allies from across the country on laws criminalizing people living with and vulnerable to HIV and on strategies and best practices for repealing such laws. The third HIV Is Not a Crime Training Academy will be held on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 3-6, 2018. Registration is now open!
Interested in presenting at HIV Is Not a Crime III? Finish up that abstract now, or get busy! The deadline to submit is Monday, February 12. Find full guidelines, instructions and link to submit here.
Important Things to Consider Before Submitting:
- All proposals must include at least one person living with HIV as a presenter or a co-facilitator to be considered for selection.
- All presenters are required to register for the conference or apply for a scholarship; acceptance of a proposal does not guarantee a scholarship or coverage of registration or travel expenses.
After reviewing proposals, conference organizers may invite session organizers to collaborate on a session.
Accepted abstracts will be announced on April 9, 2018.
HIV Is Not A Crime program and agenda will be finalized April 25, 2018.
Learn more and submit your session here!
HIV Criminalization First Responder Series:
Final Webinar Monday, Feb. 26 at 3pm EST/12pm PST
The last webinar in the First Responder series will include an in-depth look at the criminal legal system. This training will introduce participants to the main “players” that people experiencing HIV criminalization will encounter, including prosecutors, public defenders, and judges. The training will also discuss advocacy techniques for ensuring the privacy and human rights of PLHIV are upheld while engaging these players and navigating the criminal legal system. Register here.
Raise Your Voice at AIDSWatch! Register Today
Make your voice count! Join PWN-USA at the nation’s largest annual constituent-based national HIV/AIDS advocacy event. AIDSWatch brings together hundreds of people living with HIV and their allies to meet with members of Congress and to educate them about the important issues at stake for people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. The 25th Anniversary of the event, AIDSWatch will take place March 26 & 27, 2018 in Washington D.C.
Register now! The cost of registration will increase as of February 24.
Are you a woman or person of trans experience living with HIV planning on attending AIDSWatch? Let PWN-USA know here!
PWN-USA Is Hiring a Deputy Director
PWN–USA seeks an individual who has the experience and skill sets to serve as our Deputy Director. The deputy director is an exciting and key new leadership position identified as necessary to support our growth strategy and future impact. This key position works closely with the executive director and all staff to provide leadership in the organizational strategy, goals, and outcomes particularly for the programs and key operational functions, along with fund development and communications. An ideal candidate should be able to think both broadly and strategically about our work, while being extremely detail-oriented and organized to hold the implementation and structures necessary to move our vision into reality. Find the full job description here.
Positive Women’s Network – USA is a national membership body of women living with HIV and our allies that exists to strengthen the strategic power of all women living with HIV in the United States. Founded in 2008 by 28 diverse HIV-positive women leaders, PWN-USA develops a leadership pipeline and policy agenda that applies a gender lens to the domestic HIV epidemic grounded in social justice and human rights.