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HIV/AIDS: Pushing the limits

Changing the course of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic requires the courage to tackle challenging social issues, the commitment to sustain long term investments and the determination to push the limits of existing responses. In 1982, the Levi Strauss Foundation (LSF) became the first U.S. corporate foundation to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Since then, we have evolved our strategies to match the ever changing needs of those impacted. We have adapted lessons and pioneered new approaches to address the changing face of what has become a global pandemic. We have contributed more than $38 million to HIV/AIDS service organizations in more than 40 countries.

To date, few global apparel companies have placed the weight of their corporate citizenship commitments together with their global giving strategy to comprehensively address this critical global issue. Levi Strauss and Co. (LS&CO.) and the Levi Strauss Foundation (LSF) have been leading the business response to HIV/AIDS since the virus emerged, with a particular focus on addressing the needs of workers, improving the workplace environment and promoting the social change necessary to improve access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care. As our company continues to advance our efforts to reach our own employees and their families with much needed HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care, the Levi Strauss Foundation (LSF) works to create a supportive enabling environment to ensure those services are available and acceptable without stigma and discrimination.

Protection of human rights is critical to achieving these goals. Stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and those who are most vulnerable to infection are among both the most powerful drivers, and the most staggering consequences, of the epidemic. As long as human rights abuses related to HIV/AIDS are not adequately addressed, vulnerability to infection -- as well as disparity in access to treatment and care -- will continue to be rooted in social, economic and gender inequalities.

Improving access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care requires an unrelenting focus on social change. We fund policy advocacy, legal reform and support to build the advocacy capacity of vulnerable groups in the context of HIV/AIDS. are treated with dignity and have access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care services free of stigma and discrimination.

We fund the following in the countries where LS&CO. does business:

• Advocacy and capacity building to address discrimination and abuse on the basis of real or perceived HIV/AIDS status; and
• Prevention, treatment and care services for apparel workers.