• KAREN KUNAWICZ

  Poet, writer, reproductive health advocate

• "Initiate change in your own sphere of influence."

Kunawicz, one of the hosts of XYZ, a now defunct television program in the '90s that dealt with issues on women empowerment and reproductive health. The show was considered both progressive and ballsy – it is said that it was on XYZ when a condom was first seen on national TV. Using executions that were light and humorous like a condom quiz, XYZ was able to communicate messages about safe sex in a language that the youth could understand and relate to.

In 1999, because of her work on XYZ, Karen was invited to speak at the 5th International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific in Kuala Lumpur where she presented the youth view on HIV/AIDS.

"Some of the findings of my presentation showed that the youth viewed HIV/AIDS as somewhat a solitary issue. It had to be related to something else like sexual health,   overpopulation or poverty in order to be relevant to them."

Today, Karen says that she still sees a similar problem except that, "The issue of HIV/AIDS is eclipsed by other issues like now hot topic climate change and Typhoon Ondoy. And this goes for everyone, not just the youth."