Beatrice Were
Beatrice Were (born circa 1966) is a
HIV-positive
in 1991, a month after her husband died of AIDS.
Her work
In 1993, Beatrice Were co-founded the non-governmental organization NACWOLA to unite Ugandan women living with HIV and to improve the quality of their lives. She has served as national coordinator of NACWOLA, and as the Executive Coordinator of the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS, Uganda. She is currently National Coordinator for HIV/AIDS for ActionAid Uganda.
Activism
One of Africa's highest profile AIDS activists, Beatrice Were has become known for her strongly worded criticism of
HIV prevention, won her a standing ovation.[1]
Awards
Were was awarded InterAction Humanitarian Award in 2003. She has also won the Human Rights Defender Award, the highest honor bestowed by Human Rights Watch.