HIV & AIDS-A Deep Human Concern

2013 LECTURE
ASPECTS OF GENDER AND HIV
The 2013 Professor Father Michael Kelly Lecture on HIV and AIDS took place at the Development
Studies Association of Ireland 1 and Gender Advanced Research Consortium 2 Joint Conference
on “Health and Gender Equity in a Period of Global Crisis”. Then Director General of Irish Aid,
Brendan Rogers, introduced the lecture, followed by Father Michael’s address, “Aspects of HIV
and Gender”. In his lecture, Father Michael focused on the key issues making women and girls
especially vulnerable to discrimination, and how these contribute to their risk of contracting
HIV. The event also featured a photographic exhibition by Trócaire, “Facing AIDS: The Time
is Now”, as well as the unveiling of a quilt created by members of the support organisation
Open Heart House, which recorded in physical form messages of strength and resilience from
those living with HIV. Audio of Father Michael’s lecture, his presentation slides, and images
of the Trócaire photographic exhibition and the Open Heart House Quilt, can be accessed at
www.fathermichaelkellyzambia.org.
Michael J. Kelly, S.J.,
DSAI Conference,
Galway, Ireland, November 2013
“We are considering something that’s very
negative, and that we do not like: HIV. But
I want to ask you that as we hear many of
the negative aspects, we should think also of
some of the positive aspects, and if you want
to get them highlighted for you, I invite you to
examine very closely the quilt that the members
of Open Heart House have prepared.
When there are such beautiful expressions
as, “I am a mother, I am a wife, I am HIV, I
am happy to be who I am”, that is the spirit
that is within many of the people who have
HIV, and that is the spirit we admire in them.
That is the spirit that encourages so many of
us to try and join hands with them to overcome
this ferocious disease that has struck
the human race.
I’d like to thank the Irish people very warmly
for their support for HIV activities worldwide
and here in Ireland, and to thank them for
the continued support for this World AIDS
Day event, this annual event, which even in
difficult financial times is going ahead. At
the same time, I would like to congratulate
Ireland on an award that was made, to Ire-
1 Irish membership-based and membership-driven organisation aiming to provide an open and participatory space for
dialogue between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working in international development.
2 Research network linking academics across disciplines at NUI Galway and the University of Limerick.
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