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doctorswithoutborders:

DRC: A Fashion Show Featuring Women Living with HIV

This past March was designated women’s month in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In order to close it out on a high note, Doctors Without Borders teams in DRC did something a little unusual. Along with Médecins du Monde and the Réseau National Des Organisations d’Assise Communautaires des PVV (the RNOAC, a national network of community-based organizations that assists people with HIV/AIDS), they organized a fashion show on March 30 that featured 12 women living with HIV/AIDS. The goal was threefold: to fight discrimination against people living with HIV, to alert the public to the tragic lack of access to treatment in the country, and to show what is possible when treatment is made available.

The fashion show was designed to send the message that with proper treatment, people with HIV/AIDS can live a normal life and even flourish.

In front of a supportive, cheering audience, the women walked with poise and dignity, pausing at the end of the runway to deliver short messages in proud, confident voices.

“Do I look ill to you?” one woman said.

“I’ve been living with HIV for 14 years and I’m doing great, thanks to ARVs!” another announced.

“I’ve broken the silence,” said a third. “Now it’s up to you to make my voice heard!”

Photo: DRC 2012 © MSF
Women living with HIV walk in the March 30 fashion show in Kinshasa.