Advocacy

SIAAP advocates and supports local disenfranchised communities to fight for their rights, and works with state agencies to ensure the government fulfill its obligation to its citizens. SIAAP works to empower WSW, MSM, and PLWHA who lack the basic rights of education, healthcare and money in its effort to halt the spread of HIV.

SIAAP is responsible for the Government of India ruling that no individual be imprisoned on the grounds of being HIV positive. This ruling followed from a case SIAAP won in the Madras High Court against the illegal detention of 800 women who were detained for testing positive for HIV, in 1989.

Since July 2003, the Home Secretary has worked with SIAAP to prosecute aggressors committing violence against marginalized communities.

Currently, SIAAP is advocating for the improvement of HIV care in hospitals and ensuring patient rights are met through public interest litigations and petitions in court.

SIAAP is the leading VCT resource in Tamil Nadu. HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) is provided by government hospitals as a result of advocacy put forth by SIAAP. Prior to this, HIV testing of at-risk populations in Tamil Nadu hospitals was mandatory, which led to further stigmatisation of these already marginalized groups.

SIAAP encouraged 95 panchayats (village councils) to pass resolutions in support of PLWHAs, poor and marginalized women, and sexual minorities against violence and discrimination.

Helped WSW, MSM, PLWHA, and blind people collectivise into 20 community organisations and formally register with the government.

Helped enforce the national standard for condom quality and ensure that they be freely available to those who need them.

South India AIDS Action Programme  No. 8/11, Jeevanatham Street, Lakshmipuram, Thiruvanmiyur,  Chennai - 600 041, Tamil Nadu, India  Ph: +91-44- 2452 2285 / 2452 3301 Fax : +91-44-2452 4215  Email: admin.siaap@gmail.com/siaap@eth.net/siaap@satyam.net.in   All rights reserved @ Siaap India. 2004   Website Redesigned by J.Vasanth, E.Nawin &  N.Jayaraman With the guidance of Mrs. Shanthi Nachiappan & Mrs. N.shanthi of VCMCS, CH-66.