Grandmother activists came together across 11 countries for the International Grandmothers Gathering (IGG) in October 2023.

In sub-Saharan Africa, and around the world, grandmothers and grandothers are leading social justice movements and playing integral roles in their communities.

Gathering across Canada, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, grandmothers created national plans of action and made new international connections. 

They organized national and international workshops, public marches, and meetings with policymakers to advocate for grandmothers’ rights. They raised the visibility of grandmothers mobilizing for a more equitable future, free from AIDS.

These gatherings came at a critical time. Since COVID-19, many grandmothers have seen a major backslide in gains made toward ending the HIV epidemic, and in the protection of their human rights.

Faced with discrimination based on gender, age, and HIV status, grandmothers are courageous advocates for their families and communities.

Since 2006, Canadian, American, Australian, and British grandmothers and grandothers have joined African grandmothers in solidarity through the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. Members raise significant funds and awareness, rallying behind the call, “We will not rest until they can rest!”