Latin American Women Begin Regional Meeting
Latin American women began here on Monday a debate on the expansion of AIDS and its majority incidence on the feminine population.

Prevention and most effective treatments against the disease are some of the points in the agenda of the 33th Assembly of the Women Inter American Commission (CIM in Spanish), said parliament member Milena Calderon.

During the three-day meeting, the campaign "Do the test" will be launched. The initiative of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to be developed in Central America aims at creating awareness to contain the pandemic in the region.

The assembly will also examine the incidence of violence as a consequence of gender problems.

Several studies contend that discrimination, homophobia, poverty and violence in Central America are directly linked to AIDS

Reports of the CIM president, Nilcea Freire of Brazil, and of specialized organizations of the Inter American system and the United Nations on prevention and eradication of violence against women in the hemisphere will also be examined.

The meeting is attended by women of the 34 member countries of the regional organization.