Women's groups unite over Female Condoms and Paper Dolls

Female condoms and paper dolls may appear like a bizarre combination, but leading women’s organisations in New Zealand are distributing both to promote greater investment by governments in female condoms.

YWCA of Aotearoa New Zealand and Positive Women Inc. have united to join the international Paper Dolls Campaign that raises awareness of female condoms as well as the education and programming needed to support their use.

“Less than one percent of all condoms distributed globally are female condoms. Over 99 percent are male condoms. This means that very few of the millions of people who would like to use female condoms for protection from pregnancy, HIV and other STI’s can’t get them. Even where they are available, they are often priced out of the reach of most people, including here in New Zealand,” says Jane Bruning of Positive Women Inc.

The campaign is funded by Universal Access to Female Condoms (UAFC to illustrate the growing, world-wide demand for female condoms by creating massive chains of paper dolls, each one with a personal message that reflects people’s thoughts on female condoms.

“At the YWCA, we believe it is essential to provide adequate resources to support the capacity of women and girls to lead change on HIV and AIDS and sexual and reproductive health and rights issues – and this includes access to the female condom as a life saving device. The Paper Doll Campaign will be a fun way to raise awareness of this,” says Sarah Davies of the YWCA.

Thousands of paper dolls will be on display at the United Nations Plaza during the upcoming United Nations High Level Meeting on HIV and AIDS in New York later this month. Thousands more dolls will be carried into the Dutch Parliament when UAFC holds it conference there in November.

YWCA of Aotearoa New Zealand and Positive Women Inc. plan to hold a national event later in the year to raise awareness of the female condom in New Zealand.

ENDS

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