"The AIDS epidemic has taken a toll on the lives of millions of women all over the world. In the face of adversity, they have responded with exceptional courage not only in surviving the impact of the epidemic but also in building solidarity among women. In so doing, they have brought light and unity to the diverse tapestry of women's experiences."
- Global Coalition on Women and AIDS
HIV/AIDS is a virus that was first identified in 1981. Since then, approximately 25 million lives have been claimed. At the end of 2007, it was estimated that out of 30.8 million adults around the world living with HIV/AIDS, approximately half were women, with the majority of those afflicted coming from developing countries. Although the awareness of HIV/AIDS has been rising steadily over the past few decades, few people have access to quality HIV/AIDS-related medical care. Across the developing world, only 31% of those who need anti-AIDS drugs are receiving them, and access to prevention tools such as HIV education remains severely inadequate. Although many non-governmental groups as well as world leaders have made efforts to curb the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS over the years, a lot more needs to be done in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Facts and Figures
There were an estimated 33 million adults and children living with HIV and AIDS in 2007 (UNAIDS, 2008).
Of the 30.8 million adults (15 years +) living with HIV and AIDS in 2007, 15.5 million were women (UNAIDS, 2008).
The following percentages represent the amount of all adults living with HIV who are women, at the end of 2007:
Sub-Saharan Africa: approximately 60 percent
North Africa and Middle East: 54.2 percent
East Asia: 27.3 percent
Oceania: 30 percent
South and South-East Asia: 37 percent
Eastern Europe and Central Asia: a-pproximately 31 percent
Western and Central Europe: 27.3 percent
North America: 20.8 percent
Caribbean: 50 percent
- UNAIDS 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic
The yearly increase in the social burden of AIDS illness on women is projected to double from 2005 to 2015 in Sub-Saharan Africa (ILO, 2004).
Where women's property and inheritance rights are upheld, women acting as primary caregivers of HIV and AIDS-affected households are better able to mitigate the negative economic and social consequences of AIDS. Additionally, these rights can help prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS by promoting women's economic security and empowerment and thereby reduce their vulnerability to domestic violence, unsafe sex and other AIDS-related risk factors. (ICRW and GCWA, Richard Strickland, 2004).
Women and HIV/AIDS
Women are twice more likely than men to become infected with HIV/AIDS through unprotected heterosexual intercourse as they are less able to negotiate condom use. This is largely due to gender inequality, where women often have fewer rights than men in sexual relationships.
The lack of education in developing countries especially has resulted in women being unaware of contraceptives that could have prevented the transmission of HIV/AIDS.
Many new infections occur within marriage or long-term relationships as a result of unfaithful partners, especially in societies where it is acceptable for a man to have more than one sexual partner.
The feminisation of poverty has become a pertinent issue for women and HIV/AIDS. In countries such as those in sub-Saharan Africa, the denial of a woman's inheritance and property rights can increase her vulnerability to HIV/AIDS as it prevents women from being economically independent. This can lead to an increased risk of sexual exploitation and violence, as women may have to endure abusive relationships or resort to informal sex work for economic survival, which in turn can lead to the contraction of HIV/AIDS.
Substance use by sharing needles contaminated with HIV/AIDS is also common. Women who end up trading sex for drugs are also at risk of contracting the deadly virus.
Sexual violence against women is both a cause and a consequence of HIV infection. Women are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection when they are less able to negotiate condom use and when they are subject to rape. In countries where armed conflict is rife, there have been reports of rape being used as a 'tool of war'. Amnesty International reported that the torture of women was reported in every armed conflict that they investigated between 1999 and 2000. In some cases, women were intentionally infected with HIV/AIDS, with the aim of causing a 'slow death'.
Effects of HIV AIDS on Women
Women also have to deal with self-esteem issues when they contract HIV/AIDS. They also ave to deal with social stigma of being afflicted with AIDS. This situation is more dire in rural areas where people are ignorant about how the virus is transmitted.
Women also have to struggle with the issue of mother-to-child transmission (MCT) of HIV/AIDS. MCT occurs during pregnancy, labour and delivery or breastfeeding. According to UNAIDS, there were an estimated 2 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2007, most of whom were infected by their mothers. Often, AIDS-stricken women feel guilty and decide to terminate their pregnancies. This evokes further controversy as some communities disapprove of abortion.
Women and girls who are not afflicted by the disease themselves can also be affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as they are often the main caregivers in families affected by AIDS. Girls often have to miss school as a result of looking after those stricken by the disease, and women often struggle to earn income whilst providing care. In households where both parents die from the disease, it tends to be the grandmothers or other female relatives who take on the responsibility of caregiver to the orphans.
Solutions for Change
Women and girls should be educated about sexuality and contraceptives as this can significantly reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS. For example, the female condom can be used to protect women from most sexually transmitted diseases. This gives them control over reproduction as well. Having too many children without having the means to support them can further perpetuate conditions of poverty.
Increasing HIV/AIDS education can also help to reduce the stigma that people living with HIV/AIDS face, which is often more acute for women. Eradicating stigma is important in the fight against HIV/AIDS because stigmatization can further marginalize an already vulnerable group, preventing them from accessing essential healthcare services.
Most importantly, legislation by the authorities against sexual abuse as well as a change in perception towards gender roles through public education are essential in the prevention of HIV/AIDS amongst women.
The Role of the United Nations
The United Nations has been very active in helping HIV/AIDS victims all around the world. It has been promoting HIV/AIDS awareness so as to prevent new victims, and has also been helping those who have been infected. Since 1996, its efforts have been coordinated by UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS). This programme is sponsored by 10 United Nations system agencies: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank.
In 2000, global leaders agreed on a set of goals for fighting HIV/AIDS at the General Assembly's Millennium Summit. A 2001 special session of the Assembly saw the setting up of the Global Fund to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. At the Assembly's 2005 World Summit, global leaders renewed their commitment to fight HIV/AIDS through preventive measures and medical treatment.
In 2006, the Assembly conducted a high-level review of achievements made since its special session in 2001. The result was the creation of a 53-point Political Declaration about future progress to be made.
UNIFEM has also conducted many initiatives in the fight against HIV/AIDS worldwide since 1998. Its work includes policy development as well as carrying out initiatives in specific communities. UNIFEM's East and Southeast Asia Regional Programme on Gender and HIV was set up in 2001 and continues to be active in many countries such as China and Cambodia. In 2007, UNIFEM worked with the Cambodian Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (CCW) to build leadership capacity among HIV positive women leaders, strengthen the capacity of the CCW as a national coordination mechanism for HIV-positive women and improve collaboration and dialogue among networks of women living with HIV.
In Brazil and Honduras, UNIFEM has helped gender advocates in reviewing HIV/AIDS-related laws. UNIFEM is also supporting two women's groups in Honduras in documenting the progress made on international commitments to combating HIV/AIDS, as well as raising awareness about the link between HIV/AIDS and violence against women.
UNIFEM Singapore supports the general mission of UNIFEM in developing nations in the region by providing funds and assistance for projects related to the prevention of HIV/AIDS. One example is the UNIFEM Trust Fund, which also supports actions to end female trafficking, trafficking, forced prostitution, domestic violence, sexual abuse and rape.
The true story of 12 year-old Annabella, a Ugandan girl who lives with HIV/AIDS, who has benefited tremendously from life-saving programmes by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
A video of the 53rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women on 13 March 2009, featuring Deputy Secretary-General Asha Rose Migiro, and also focusing on the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men in caregiving.
A UNICEF video on how the 3R-UNICEF All Women's Futsal Playoffs, supported the Manchester United Football Club's 'United for UNICEF' programme and Malaysia's television show '3R'More, has helped young girls and women take control of their lives and be safe from HIV/AIDS.
This report examines the global HIV challenge and assesses the progress that has been made in combating this disease. It also examines the impact of HIV/AIDS in various countries, identifying causes and obstacles in the process while offering solutions for greater efficacy.
With its focus on the "Three Ones" principles for the coordination of national AIDS responses - one national AIDS action framework, one national AIDS coordinating authority, and one system for monitoring and evaluation - this publication emphasises approaches and examples to ensure that gender equality is promoted and protected in strategies designed to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS.
This report highlights programs that work through legal and cultural mechanisms to reduce the risk of women in poverty contracting HIV/AIDS, and demonstrates that a sophisticated and comprehensive strategy is needed to link women's property rights with HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, counselling and care services.
This 2004 report examines the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls and highlights the ways discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence fuel the epidemic. It is argued that unless women and girls are sufficiently empowered and the problem of gender inequality addressed, there is little chance of success in combating the epidemic.
Annual Report 2009
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