Discussing the theme «There are no simple solutions: Investing in HIV/AIDS prevention among women and girls», delegates noted that women faced the highest risk and therefore require a multifaceted approach.
The Executive Secretary of the Rwanda National Aids Commission, Dr. Agnes Binagwaho told a panel discussion on Tuesday at the XVII International Conference on AIDS that no single preventive means should be taken lightly.
In Rwanda, studies show that the level of knowledge of HIV is still insufficient among the general population and needs to be improved. According to the 2005 Demographic and Health Survey, only 53.6% of women against 57.6% of men have a combined knowledge on AIDS.
Despite indications that the women are more informed than the men, they remain most at risk because they do not have control of over sex.
Participants in Mexico highlighted the existing gender related inequalities and their impact in the spread of the AIDS pandemic. According to Dr. Binagwaho, women are vulnerable as they cannot freely decide what their lives should be.
Stephen Lewis, the Co-director of ‘Free-World’ said that one of the alternatives of building capacities of women and of reducing their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS is to ensure their accessibility to education. The more educated women become, the more possibility for them to discuss about the use of condoms, he said.
“My organization advocates for universal secondary education for all girls”, he told delegates.
Hilda Esquivel, the Mexican woman Activist from the organization of the Mexican women living with HIV/AIDS, highlighted difficulties fellow women in her country encounter.
“I am HIV positive for a period of 13 years, but it is only last year that we managed to set up an organization of HIV positive women », said Mrs. Esquivel.
She warned of lack of information on women’s condom in her country stating that « only 20% of all women in the country know about female condom. It is therefore important to organize sensitization campaigns on the use of female condoms».
Matilda Mogale, Head of the Community Education Research Unit for the anti- HIV vaccine in the Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto (Republic of South Africa) enjoys involving and committing women in the research for the anti- HIV vaccine. (End)