Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times - Sunday, 8 August, 2004
Janice Healing
There is no doubt that the HIV/Aids pandemic is having a severe impact on South African society and on the economy.
As the country pauses to celebrate National Women's Day tomorrow, it is important to note that not only is the disease affecting more women than men at present; it is also women who can play a leading role in fighting the pandemic.
The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) commissioned the South African Aids Law Project to review human rights and gender issues in the legislation in Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
The review found that although most of the countries, except Swaziland, have either ratified or acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, there is evidence of common and customary laws that encourage gender discrimination and keep women subservient to men, their sons or male relatives.
The HSRC's Dr Olive Shisana reports that gender discrimination is a critical factor in contributing to the high HIV/Aids prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa.
"Most harmful sexual practices have their origin in patriarchal societies that promote male superiority," says Shisana.
She says research suggests that the risks of HIV/Aids infection are substantially different for men and women, as shown by the marked age and sex-differentiated HIV-prevalence ratios.
For example, in South Africa the age and sex distribution of HIV infection shows that prevalence levels rise more quickly in women and then decrease with age, whereas with men the peak prevalence levels occur at an older age.
The HSRC notes that gender inequality in socio-economic status is one of the most significant causes of the increasing rate of HIV infection.
Shisana recommends that governments integrate international laws and conventions into their legal systems to ensure that women do not remain subservient to men, adding that education systems should be used to change social norms that increase vulnerability to HIV for men and women.
Gender-sensitive training programmes for the judicial system should be developed and implemented to ensure sex offenders are punished to the full extent of the law. Shisana believes this will reduce the prevalence of sexual violence that puts women and children at risk of HIV infection.
Diane Ritson of PeopleManagement agrees that the HIV/Aids pandemic is affecting the women of South Africa more than is realised, adding that the latest report from UNAids states that HIV/Aids is becoming a female epidemic.
Ritson says it is estimated that more than half a million children have been orphaned by Aids, a number that could treble by 2010 - meaning that the social structure and family life of South Africans is being eroded. The death of parents and siblings has an enormous systemic impact on society, and women bear the brunt of it.
"Women are the breadwinners and caregivers who worry about what will happen to their children when they die. They traditionally develop the value systems of their families and are the role models for their children," explains Ritson.
"It's imperative that women are empowered with knowledge about HIV/Aids. They need to know their own health status so that they can plan for their future and their family's wellbeing.
"Women also need to be given the tools to deal with their sexuality and the choices they can make, as well as advice on benefit entitlements such as grants for additional dependants," Ritson says.
She also believes that women need to be taking the lead in the fight against HIV/Aids.
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