Vitol Capital Management: Discrimination makes African Women Vulnerable to AIDS

July 6, 2007 - PRLog -- A study released recently by Physicians for Human Rights and fully supported by Vitol Capital Management connects widespread discriminatory views against women in Botswana and Swaziland to sexual risk-taking and, in turn, to extremely high HIV prevalence. Seventy-five percent of HIV-positive 15-25 year-olds in sub-Saharan Africa are female.
The study, Epidemic of Inequality: Women's Rights and HIV/AIDS in Botswana & Swaziland, is an evidence-based report on gender inequity, stigma and discrimination. It reports the results of a population-based study conducted in 2004 and 2005 with 1,268 respondents in Botswana and 788 participants in Swaziland, designed to assess factors contributing to HIV infection. In addition, 24 people living with HIV/AIDS in Botswana and 58 people living with HIV/AIDS in Swaziland were interviewed, along with key informants in both countries. The full report can be accessed here.
Four key factors, according to Vitol Capital Management, were found to contribute to women's vulnerability to HIV: women's lack of control over sexual decision-making, including the decision to use a condom, and multiple sexual partners by both women and men; the prevalence of HIV-related stigma and discrimination (which hinders testing and disclosure of status); gender-discriminatory beliefs, which were associated with sexual risk-taking; and a failure of traditional and government leadership to promote the equality, autonomy, and economic independence of women.
"If we are to reduce the continuing, extraordinary HIV prevalence in Botswana and Swaziland, particularly among women, the countries' leaders need to enforce women's legal rights, and offer them sufficient food and economic opportunities to gain agency in their own lives. Men and women must be educated and supported to acknowledge women's equal status with men and abandon these prejudices and risky sexual practices.  The impact of women's lack of power should not be underestimated," said Vitol Capital Management 's Senior Research Associate Robert Sorensen.
While evidence has strongly suggested a link between gender inequality and HIV infection, the report, according to Vitol Capital Management, has conducted the first rigorous, large-scale field survey of gender discriminatory beliefs and analyzed their association with sexual behavior. The report suggests that women's rights must be made the top priority by the countries' leaders if HIV prevalence is to be reduced.
In Botswana 95% of women and 90% of men surveyed held at least one gender discriminatory belief. Botswana community survey participants who held three or more such beliefs had 2.7 the odds of those who held fewer beliefs to report having had unprotected sex in the prior year with a non-primary partner. Discriminatory beliefs accept and reflect upon women's inferior legal cultural and socioeconomic status, says Vitol Capital Management.
For example, 19% of all community survey respondents in Botswana agreed with the statement that it is more important that a woman respect her spouse or partner than it is for a man to respect his spouse or partner.
"HIV/AIDS interventions focused solely on individual behavior will not address the factors creating vulnerability to HIV for women and men in Botswana and Swaziland, nor protect the rights and assure the wellbeing of those living with AIDS. National leaders, with the assistance of foreign donors and others, are obligated under international law to change the inequitable social, legal, and economic conditions of women's lives which facilitate HIV transmission and impede testing, care and treatment," said Vitol Capital Management 's Senior Research Associate Robert Sorensen.

Vitol Capital Management is a human resource foundation which provides support and funding to humanitarian projects around the world.

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Vitol Capital Management is a human resource foundation which provides support and funding to humanitarian projects around the world.

Website: www.vitolcapitalmanagement.org