National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD) is held every year on March 10.
NWGHAAD is a day to mobilize partners, supporters, and communities across the United States to share information and empower women and girls to learn more about the importance of HIV and AIDS prevention, care, and treatment.
Organizing an activity in your community shows that you support all women and girls impacted by HIV and AIDS!
Event ideas
Virtual Walk
Organize a walk by encouraging your family, friends, and neighbors to walk or run in support of NWGHAAD. Challenge them to 18 minutes of walking, running, or exercise reps on March 10 in recognition of the 18 years the Office on Women’s Health has hosted NWGHAAD! Remember to wear your mask and practice your local guidelines around social distancing to prevent COVID infection.
Online Art gallery or art show
Organize an event that features art focused on HIV and AIDS education and prevention among women and girls.
What you'll need: a venue, artists
This is a great activity for students, so if you're not part of an academic organization, consider partnering with a high school or college for this type of event. Encourage artists on campus and in the community to create artwork focused on HIV and AIDS. Preview the artwork before the show and ask several artists to discuss their artwork at the show. They can discuss why they were inspired to create the piece and how HIV and AIDS has affected them or their community.
Virtual Candlelight vigil
Hold an online candlelight vigil to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and to recognize women and girls who have been impacted by the disease.
What you'll need: a venue, candles and lighters or battery-powered candles
Invite your community to honor the local women and girls who have been impacted by HIV and AIDS. Your event can include a speaker to help start a discussion about how to take action against HIV and AIDS or to share their personal story. You can also invite local artists to share their work related to HIV and AIDS or ask artists to create something for the event.
Documentary night
Host an online screening of a documentary that highlights the reality of HIV and AIDS.
What you'll need: a copy of a film about HIV and AIDS, a discussion guide, a DVD player or laptop with a DVD player, a TV/projector, a screen or wall to show the movie, handouts
Ask local movie theaters, independent theaters, community centers, or schools to donate space/equipment for your event and select a movie. Engage the audience in a discussion about HIV and AIDS after the screening. Be prepared with some discussion questions to help the audience reflect on how the movie affected them, changed their thinking, or educated them. It is a good idea to engage a health care provider from your local hospital or health clinic to help lead the discussion.
HIV testing
Offer free HIV testing at your clinic, college, or other location.
If your organization offers HIV testing, consider waiving the fee in honor of NWGHAAD and offering counseling. If you already offer free testing, you could offer extended hours or other giveaways in support of NWGHAAD. If you don't offer HIV testing, partner with someone in your community who does. Enter your zip code into the HIV testing location finder.
Virtual Open mic, comedy act, or poetry slam
Invite local artists to share their work online and discuss in a safe space how HIV and AIDS affects women and girls.
What you'll need: online video platform, rules (act length, topic, etc.), a link to register, an emcee, judges (if appropriate)
Online promotion ideas
You can use social media to raise awareness about how women and girls are impacted by HIV and AIDS. Social media platforms provide a great space for people to share their experiences, encourage discussion, and educate one another. Use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tumblr, or blogs to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS in honor of NWGHAAD March 10 or anytime throughout the month of March.
Use your LinkedIn status update to share an article about HIV and AIDS, what this year’s theme “Prevention and Testing at Every Age. Care and Treatment at Every Stage” means to you, your NWGHAAD event, or the NWGHAAD website on your profile, company, or group page.
YouTube
Take videos of what you or your organization are doing in honor of NWGHAAD. Post your videos to YouTube. Share your own videos through Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr. Tag them with #NWGHAAD and include www.womenshealth.gov/nwghaad in the video description to help your viewers find more information.
Podcast
Record a podcast discussing HIV and AIDS to educate others and inspire people to take action. Share the podcast on your organization's website, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social platform.
Share photos
Take pictures of what you are doing in honor of NWGHAAD and tag them with #NWGHAAD to help raise awareness. You can also share your photos on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, or any other social media platform.
Write and publish a blog post
Write a blog post about NWGHAAD or what HIV prevention means to you. The blog post could be about any topic that focuses on HIV and AIDS among women and girls. Share your blog on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform.
Create a video
Create a video sharing what HIV prevention means to you, how HIV and AIDS have affected you, and why or how you are raising awareness about HIV and AIDS. You can also use your video to feature your experience at a NWGHAAD event. Share your videos on Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social platform.
Host a webinar
Present a free webinar that discusses PrEP and PEP, HIV testing, how to reduce stigma, or other important HIV topics. Promote the webinar on your organization's website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Share local stats on HIV and AIDS among women and girls in your community
Create a data visualization graphic on HIV and AIDS with a focus on statistics or facts relevant to your community or state (for state-based information, see www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/stateprofiles/usmap.htm). Share it on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, or Pinterest to help raise awareness.
Tips for building partnerships for National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Consider forming partnerships with organizations in your community to help support your NWGHAAD events and activities. Developing partnerships allows you to:
- Share resources
- Reduce stigma of HIV and AIDS
- Increase visibility of your event/activity and your organization
- Reach more women and girls in your community
- Have a greater impact on women's and girls' health
Who should I reach out to?
You may want to reach out to the following types of organizations:
- Women- and family-focused support groups
- Churches and faith-based institutions
- Colleges and universities, especially if they have medical schools or public health programs
- Health centers, clinics, and hospitals
- Businesses and private organizations, such as fitness centers, drug stores, grocery stores, and more
- Nonprofit organizations, such as health service organizations or local sorority or fraternity chapters
What should I ask organizations to do?
Organizations often look for causes to support their community and can:
- Help organize and staff an event
- Donate materials, including HIV and AIDS information or supplies for women and girls
- Offer volunteers, including health care professionals to administer HIV screenings, or guest speakers who have knowledge of HIV and AIDS or work to educate women and girls
- Promote the event by displaying posters, posting information to their websites, or sending information through their social media channels
- Issue press releases and conduct other media outreach
How do I find partner organizations in my community?
A quick online search can provide you with a list of relevant organizations in your community working to address HIV and AIDS and empower women and girls. Talk with your coworkers to see whether they have contacts outside your organization who may be interested.
How do I reach out to other organizations?
Find contact information for each organization on its website and send a letter or email explaining why the organization should be a part of the nationwide observance. Follow up with a phone call.
Promoting your event
Here are a few suggestions for getting the word out about your NWGHAAD event.
- Social Media. Post a series of messages on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to introduce the event, get people excited about it, and provide updates when necessary. You can also send a Facebook event invitation to Facebook friends or send a series of emails, beginning with a save-the-date message, to contacts or listservs. Consider using these outlets to show pictures, video, and comments about the event after it is done. Be sure to tag your social media posts with the #NWGHAAD hashtag.
- Flyers. Display flyers in community centers, places of worship, coffee shops, and other places with high visibility to promote your event.
- Website. Dedicate a website or a section of your website to the event. Include the date, time, location, directions, and other essential information.
- Radio. Contact the public service director at your local radio stations that target the same audience as your event. Ask them to share information about your event. You will need to provide them with a media advisory.
- Community Sponsors. Reach out to local businesses, clinics, hospitals, and schools to help promote and support your event.
Resources from our federal partners
Explore other resources and websites from some of our federal partners: