{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.027968821641448878, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.181303116147308, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Organizing women for policy-making and implementation.


 Women's involvement in AIDS and sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention promotion can be enhanced through coalition building, strategy planning, organization, and consciousness raising. Each of these topics is discussed as a means to increasing women's influence on policy making, program development, and implementation. It is essential that women understand the grave consequences for themselves and their families of HIV/STD infections; women can be effective in preventing the spread of AIDS and in coping with illness. The most effective way of reaching women is through interpersonal contact at all age levels. Young girls, who have not reached puberty, and older women, who may be educators or advisors, should be targeted. Contact can be made through women's groups, social groups, and church groups for those with affiliations; for those without affiliations, clinics, schools and fields or open spaces in neighborhoods may serve as meeting places. The subject matter must be directed to the dangers of AIDS/STDs for women as persons without any statement about moral status. Women's influence can be enhanced by joining forces and combining resources. New organizations can be formed with AIDS/STDs as the significant issue, or, the AIDS agenda can be added to the functions of existing groups. Membership must be the force behind activities, the content must be relevant to members lives. Human resources from outside the group can be used to strengthen skills or share experiences, but should not dominate the group. Strategy involves short, medium, and longterm planning. Short-term goals bring immediate results, which benefit women directly, and also strengthen group cohesion. Examples of short-term activities, which do not require many resources, are organizing a neighborhood education session or preparing an AIDS prevention message. Medium-term goals help to maintain the momentum of the group and may involve securing funding. Long-term goals might be directed to influencing policy. Coalitions can be formed with neighboring villages, local aid groups, other women's groups, or at conferences.
