This is a discussion paper prepared for the Satellite Symposium, "Putting Third First - Critical Legal Issues and HIV/AIDS". The paper makes a fundamental assumption that if efforts to change sexual behaviour is at the core of reducing HIV infection and if efforts to change sexual behaviour require changes in the social and economic power relations in society, then our ability to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic is inextricably linked to our…
Content Type
FOUND 1342
These reports illustrate how two of South Africa's epidemics - violence against women, and HIV/AIDS - may be converging in new and lethal ways. This report documents findings regarding violence and HIV/AIDS and argues that, to date, rape-related concerns have driven policy and legislative responses to a far greater degree than concerns about other forms of violence against women. The authors conclude that until more research and information…
The study described in this document gathered information on the perspectives, needs, and preferences of women and communities regarding mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. Funded by GlaxoWellcome and UNAIDS, research was conducted between October 1999 - May 2000 in two African countries, Botswana and Zambia. The central goal of the study was to obtain information and data that could be used to improve the effectiveness and…
The voices of women, their experiences during war and their struggles to build peace are at the heart of this report by independent experts Elisabeth Rehn (Finland) and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia). Because of the specific way in which women are targeted during conflict, and because Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security called for further study, UNIFEM appointed the two women, both politicians and…
Many companies recognize the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a serious threat to productivity and profitability. This guide provides practical steps for developing and implementing workplace prevention and care programs that will serve both employees and managers. It is designed for use by companies' human resources managers, medical officers and union representatives. Users will find guidance in assessing the real and potential impact of HIV/AIDS on their…
The World AIDS Campaign for the years 2002-2003 will focus on stigma and discrimination. The main objective of the campaign is to prevent, reduce and ultimately eliminate HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination, wherever it occurs and in all its forms. The aim of this conceptual framework is to: create a common understanding of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination; highlight some existing interventions targeting HIV/AIDS-related…
There are 11.8 million young people (aged 15-24) living with HIV/AIDS globally -- 7.3 million are young women and 4.5 million are young men. This report contains important new data about why young people are key to defeating the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, including results from more than 60 new national surveys. It reaffirms that we must accord top priority to making investments in the well-being of young people and to engaging them in the…
For women and adolescent girls, the consequence of AIDS can be particularly dire. There is strong evidence, for example, that in some countries women may be "blamed" for HIV disease even in circumstances where they have been infected by remaining faithful to their husband or other male partner. There is also evidence to suggest that women are less likely to receive the kind of care and support made available to male household members. Moreover,…
This is a transcript of Geeta Rao Gupta's presentation which views gender as a culture-specific construct and focuses on issues related to the heterosexual transmission of HIV/AIDS. The dynamics of power are examined within the context of sexuality, defined as a social construction of a biological drive. Approaches to empower women are outlined as part of the aim to combat the power imbalance and inequality in heterosexual relationships.…
'Auntie Stella' was originally produced as an activity pack for use in schools with young Zimbabweans aged 13 to 17 years, and later developed as a website. It has been used in schools to stimulate discussion among young people on key teenage issues, and also gives information that teenagers find hard to get elsewhere. Both the print and website versions use the question and reply format of problem page letters written to agony aunts in…
This report focuses on issues pertaining to community level health interventions, particularly within the African context. Examples of community-level initiatives in countries such as Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda are cited, with details on strategic perspectives that include men-centered programs, redistribution of resources, review of Structural Adjustment Programs, and grassroots initiatives that involve political and social mobilization.…
In recent years, increasing attention has been placed on the need to integrate a gender-based approach into efforts to deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This paper addresses the risks and needs of male and female adolescents in relation to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the broader area of sexual and reproductive (SRH) health. It begins with a brief review of the risks to which adolescents are exposed and then proposes an SRH rights framework…
This issue includes articles on the following topics: Gender, development and HIV/AIDS; Positive women: Voices and Choices; Can men change? And can we measure it? The bulletin explores why infection rates are still on the increase, after 20 years of international responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and why the numbers of women living with HIV are increasing faster than the number of men. It goes on to discuss what can be done to address a problem…
The first step for agencies planning to undertake work on HIV/AIDS in the community must be to train staff to enable them to work more sensitively and effectively at the community level. This guide provides a framework for analysis to help identify links and facilitate discussions. The Gender Analysis Matrix, Social Relations Framework and Hierarchy of Needs are some of the tools for gender analysis outlined in the guide. This is a short,…
The 1994 Genocide in Rwanda resulted in a number of women contracting HIV/AIDS, which subsequently has serious implications on human security and on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) justice process. This document traces the impact of ICTR on the lives of women who were victims of rape and violence, and highlights the definition of rape, defined for the first time in international law, as a component of genocide. The…
Human security presumes freedom from want and from fear, as well as access to and control of resources and opportunities. The basic elements of human security include survival, safety, opportunity, dignity, agency and autonomy. These preconditions for human security are essential in reducing vulnerability to HIV infection and its impact. However, gender differences and inequalities affect the extent to which men and women, boys and girls…
The scale of the HIV/AIDS epidemic led the United Nations Security Council to make a historical move in 2002 by adopting a resolution, which not only addresses a health issue for the first time, but specifically links the spread of HIV/AIDS to the maintenance of global peace and security. This document addresses (1) the ways in which HIV/AIDS threatens human security, (2) the negative synergy between HIV/AIDS and poverty, HIV/AIDS and…
The report explains that the subordination of women in African society in the face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, is causing their premature deaths and resulting in the break-up of millions of families throughout the continent. The subsequent creation of a generation of traumatized children has serious consequences for the future stability of many countries in Africa. This paper expands on the medical aspects of the six stages of development of…
This review provides an analysis of the position of men in relation to the HIV epidemic and suggests that involving them more fully in HIV prevention work is essential if rates of transmission are to be reduced. It raises questions and provides a discussion of men and masculinities in relation to the epidemic, and offers some useful leads for future programme development. The review includes an introduction of gender and the HIV epidemic; a…
A product of the meeting in Windhoek, Namibia, this summary paper provides a perspective on the situation of women living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda. The author addresses a range of topics including the risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, the role of men, the rights of an HIV positive women, and steps for empowerment.