WOMEN, HIV, AND THE ROLE OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS

Reporters:

Theresalyn Murillo Eunice Samonte

Maria Aubrey Villamor Eloisa Aureus

According to UNAIDS, HIV is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age
worldwide. For this to change, the global HIV response must fully recognize the significant role
that gender INequality plays in increasing women and girls’ vulnerability to HIV (“UNAIDS
feature story” www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories).

Concerns were expressed about the reported violations of the sexual and reproductive rights of
women and girls living with HIV, which impact on their desire to have children, as well as their
access to prevention, treatment, care, and support. Participants in the consultation organized
by UNAIDS on February 24, 2011 described the experience of some young women living with
HIV who face STIGMA and DISCRIMINATION when accessing HIV and sexual and reproductive
health services. Examples were shared of HIV-positive women who were advised not to engage
in sexual relationships and scolded when seeking health care when pregnant, which presented
a barrier to their accessing prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission and safe delivery
services. These point out the importance of strategic opportunities to protect and promote
sexual reproductive health and rights, including improved and sustained investment in women
and girls living with HIV. There was consensus that a gender-sensitive AIDS response can help
countries move toward universal access to HIV prevention, care, and support services. This
approach is recommended by UNAIDS and in line with the UNAIDS Agenda for Women and
Girls, and the UNAIDS Strategy 2011-2015 (ibid).

JIAS, the Journal of the International AIDS Society (published online: December 1, 2015) cites
facts to show that through the years there had been uneven progress in various areas related
to women and health. Poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes represent one-third of
the total global burden of the disease for women between the ages of 15 and 49 years, with
UNSAFE SEX as major risk factor for death. In addition in 2013, 225 million were estimated to
have unmet need for modern contraception, while 60% of ALL NEW HIV INFECTIONS among
young people are 15 to 24 years old. In low-income countries, tuberculosis is often linked to HIV
infection and is among the leading causes of death of women of reproductive age and those
aged 20 to 59 years.

The Human Rights Watch cites Africa as a country where HIV concerns seem staggering. In
Uganda alone, domestic violence prevents women from freely accessing HIV/AIDS information,
from negotiating condom-use, and from resisting unprotected sex with an HIV-positive partner,
yet the government has failed to take any meaningful steps to prevent and punish such abuse.
In Kenya, simply because of their gender, many women AIDS victims sink into poverty and will
die even sooner because customs condone evicting women from their homes and taking their
propert upon their husband’s death. In Zambia, orphan girls are often sexually abused at the
hands of their guardians, including family members and teachers. In South Africa, the
government is lagging to provide prophylaxis treatments to rape survivors and girls are
deterred from attending school because of higher rates of sexual violence and harassment
(https://www.hrw.org/legacy/women/aids.html).

The World Health Organization Reproduction Programme argues that “VIOLENCE whether
PHYSICAL, SEXUAL, and/or EMOTIONAL, or the FEAR of VIOLENCE can prevent women from
negotiating safer sex and from learning and/or sharing their HIV status. In addition, women
living with HIV are sometimes blamed for BRINGING HIV INTO THE FAMILY, for being IMMORAL,
and for BREAKING SOCIAL NORMS (www.who.int/reproductivehealth/news/special-issue-
women-hiv/en/).

All these would point to the primary advocacy of UNAIDS, which focuses on women
empowerment. They argue that empowering girls and women living with HIV to defend their
rights and have access to education, information, and services despite stigma, discrimination,
and social exclusion would be a major revolution. Dr. Nafsiah Mboi, Secretary of the National
AIDS Commission, Indonesia emphasized that “HIV is NOT a HEALTH issue, it’s a
DEVELOPMENTAL issue” (ibid.; emphasis added). Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS
also declares that “[w]e must take AIDS out of isolation and provide young girls with
opportunities to NEGOTIATE their SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS and receive SEXUALITY EDUCATION
so they can protect themselves from infection” (ibid.; emphasis added).

More emphatically, Michelle Bachelet, UN Women’s Executive Director, argues that “what is
needed is a political, economic, and social case” and stresses that there is a need to work
together in a coordinated way. Mr. Babatunde Osotimehin, UNFPA Executive Director adds that
“empowering young people, particularly girls and women living with HIV to defend their rights
and have access to education, information, and services would be a major revolution.”

It should be noted that in the official website of UNFPA Philippines (www.unfpa.org0), the total
spending on integrated sexual reproductive health services in 2016 of which HIV and AIDS are a
part amounted to $ 3,334,309 divided between and among its various components including
sexual and reproductive health, family planning, and maternal health. UNFPA and non-
government organizations have used this allocation on related programs. None of the funds,
however, have been relegated to HIV and AIDS concerns and program activities. This is so far
the most recent data on UNFPA Philippines, although currently, it is calling for submission of
applications for the position of HIV Programme Analyst the deadline for which is May 4, 2018.