Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 64 / Tuesday, April 3, 2012 / Presidential Documents 20277 

Memorandum of March 30, 2012 

Establishing a Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/ 

AIDS, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Gender-related Health Disparities 

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies 

Throughout our country, the spread of HIV/AIDS has had a devastating 

impact on many communities. In the United States, there are approximately 

1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS, including more than 290,000 

women. Women and girls now account for 24 percent of all diagnoses 

of HIV infection among United States adults and adolescents. The domestic 

epidemic disproportionately affects women of color, with African Americans 

and Latinas constituting over 70 percent of new HIV cases in women. 

The spread of HIV/AIDS is, in and of itself, a primary concern to my 

Administration. However, gender-based violence and gender-related health 

disparities cannot be ignored when addressing the domestic public health 

threat of HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS programs often ignore the biological differences and the social, economic, and cultural inequities that make women 

and girls more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. In our country, women and girls 

are all too frequently victimized by domestic violence and sexual assault, 

which can lead to greater risk for acquiring this disease. Teenage girls 

and young women ages 16–24 face the highest rates of dating violence 

and sexual assault. In addition, challenges in accessing proper health care 

can present obstacles to addressing HIV/AIDS. Gender-based violence continues to be an underreported, common problem that, if ignored, increases 

risks for HIV and may prevent women and girls from seeking prevention, 

treatment, and health services. 

My Administration is committed to improving efforts to understand and 

address the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, 

and gender-related health disparities. To do so, executive departments and 

agencies (agencies) must build on their current work addressing the intersection of these issues by improving data collection, research, intervention 

strategies, and training. In order to develop a comprehensive Governmentwide approach to these issues that is data-driven, uses effective prevention 

and care interventions, engages families and communities, supports research 

and data collection, and mobilizes both public and private sector resources, 

I direct the following: 

Section 1. Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence Against 

Women and Girls, and Gender-related Health Disparities. There is established 

within the Executive Office of the President a Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Gender-related 

Health Disparities (Working Group), to be co-chaired by the White House 

Advisor on Violence Against Women and the Director of the Office of 

National AIDS Policy (Co-Chairs). Within 60 days of the date of this memorandum, the Co-Chairs shall convene the first meeting of the Working Group. 

(a) In addition to the Co-Chairs, the Working Group shall consist of representatives from: 

(i) the Department of Justice; 

(ii) the Department of the Interior; 

(iii) the Department of Health and Human Services; 

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20278 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 64 / Tuesday, April 3, 2012 / Presidential Documents 

(iv) the Department of Education; 

(v) the Department of Homeland Security; 

(vi) the Department of Veterans Affairs; 

(vii) the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and 

(viii) the Office of Management and Budget. 

(b) The Working Group shall consult with the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, as appropriate. 

(c) The Department of State, the United States Agency for International 

Development, and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Gender 

Technical Working Group shall act in an advisory capacity to the Working 

Group, providing information on lessons learned and evidence-based best 

practices based on their global experience addressing issues involving the 

intersection between HIV/AIDS and violence against women. 

Sec. 2. Mission and Functions of the Working Group. (a) The Working 

Group shall coordinate agency efforts to address issues involving the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, and gender-related 

health disparities. Such efforts shall include, but not be limited to: 

(i) increasing government and public awareness of the need to address 

the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, and gender-related health disparities, including sexual and reproductive health 

and access to health care; 

(ii) sharing best practices, including demonstration projects and international work by agencies, as well as successful gender-specific strategies 

aimed at addressing risks that influence women’s and girls’ vulnerability 

to HIV infection and violence; 

(iii) integrating sexual and reproductive health services, gender-based violence services, and HIV/AIDS services, where research demonstrates that 

doing so will result in improved and sustained health outcomes; 

(iv) emphasizing evidence-based prevention activities that engage men 

and boys and highlight their role in the prevention of violence against 

women and HIV/AIDS infection; 

(v) facilitating opportunities for partnerships among diverse organizations 

from the violence against women and girls, HIV/AIDS, and women’s health 

communities to address the intersection of these issues; 

(vi) ensuring that the needs of vulnerable and underserved groups are 

considered in any efforts to address issues involving the intersection of 

HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, and gender-related health 

disparities; 

(vii) promoting research to better understand the intersection of the biological, behavioral, and social sciences bases for the relationship between 

increased HIV/AIDS risk, domestic violence, and gender-related health 

disparities; and 

(viii) prioritizing, as appropriate, the efforts described in paragraphs (a)(i)- 

(vii) of this section with respect to women and girls of color, who represent 

the majority of females living with and at risk for HIV infection in the 

United States. 

(b) The Working Group shall annually provide the President recommendations for updating the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. In addition, the Working 

Group shall provide information on: 

(i) coordinated actions taken by the Working Group to meet its objectives 

and identify areas where the Federal Government has achieved integration 

and coordination in addressing the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence 

against women and girls, and gender-related health disparities; 

(ii) alternative means of making available gender-sensitive health care 

for women and girls through the integration of HIV/AIDS prevention and 

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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 64 / Tuesday, April 3, 2012 / Presidential Documents 20279 

care services with intimate partner violence prevention and counseling 

as well as mental health and trauma services; 

(iii) specific, evidence-based goals for addressing HIV among women, including HIV-related disparities among women of color, to inform the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Implementation Plan (for its biannual review); 

(iv) research and data collection needs regarding HIV/AIDS, violence 

against women and girls, and gender-related health disparities to help 

develop more comprehensive data and targeted research (disaggregated 

by sex, gender, and gender identity, where practicable); and 

(v) existing partnerships and potential areas of collaboration with other 

public or nongovernmental actors, taking into consideration the types 

of implementation or research objectives that other public or nongovernmental actors may be particularly well-situated to accomplish. 

Sec. 3. Outreach. Consistent with the objectives of this memorandum and 

applicable law, the Working Group, in addition to regular meetings, shall 

conduct outreach with representatives of private and nonprofit organizations, 

State, tribal, and local government agencies, elected officials, and other 

interested persons to assist the Working Group in developing a detailed 

set of recommendations. 

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) The heads of agencies shall assist and provide 

information to the Working Group, consistent with applicable law, as may 

be necessary to carry out the functions of the Working Group. Each agency 

and office shall bear its own expense for carrying out activities related 

to the Working Group. 

(b) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise 

affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or 

the head thereof; or 

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 

relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. 

(c) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable 

law and subject to the availability of appropriations. 

(d) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right 

or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by 

any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, 

its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 

(e) The Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized and directed 

to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. 

THE WHITE HOUSE 

Washington, March 30, 2012 

[FR Doc. 2012–8164 

Filed 4–2–12; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 4150–42–P 


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