Presentation by Mary M. Kanya, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Swaziland to the United States of America, at the Fifth Annual African Women's and Children's Health Symposium: The Feminization of HIV/Aids on Thursday, November 11, 2004, at the University of the District of Columbia.
The Symposium was sponsored by OIC International, Inc. Constituency for Africa International Foundation for Education & Self -Help University of the District of Columbia World Bank Group-IMF/Africa Society American and African Business Women's Alliance and The Embassy of Ethiopia
Text of the presenation follows:
The comments made in this paper are not scientific but taken from own experiences and observations.
HIV and AIDS epidemic has hit the Southern African region hard. It is currently the most heavily infected region, in terms of prevalence rates, in the world. This has implications on the development of the region or individual countries generally, but more specifically on women and children who are more adversely affected.
If one has to understand the impact of this epidemic on families, one has to briefly look back at the family structure. Of course this varies to some degree in each country.
In most African countries women are the majority in terms of population dynamics. The African populations tend to show a broad base, meaning young adults / the new working population and children are at a higher percentage; for example, in Swaziland 54% of the population are women and 45% of the population is below the age of 25.
There is great reliance on agriculture for subsistence and sometimes commercial farming. This is for food and supplemental income. In families in rural areas in many countries women are the ones involved in farming because their husbands go to the cities to seek more formal employment.
Women also tend to be the ones closely involved in the rearing of the family. In some cases the man gives the little money he has to the wife to cope with the needs of the family, but is not so closely involved with the detailed needs.
Many common jobs and professions tend to be viewed as female domain, for example teaching, nursing, and secretarial or so called support jobs. Many African Societies (not all) still view the female as a minor who should not express her feelings and needs in a relationship, let alone decide her own reproductive health needs. Her role is to provide pleasure to the man when he needs it, reproduce children and rear them. Her views should not be heard. Interestingly enough even some educated couples still practise this in Africa and sadly in many countries of the world. In some cultures if a husband dies a brother is expected to take over the widow or widows as his wife or wives without checking if the widow was HIV positive and if she is, then the husband runs the risk of spreading the disease to his other wives who might be negative. Even in a job situation a male with equal or less qualifications will be offered a job or promotion over a woman more experienced or qualified because it is still a man's world despite all nice slogans and speeches.
With this broad overview let us explore what some of the factors are that lead to women and children to be the most affected by HIV/AIDS. These are biological, culture and tradition, lack of education linked with ones rights, violence against women and children, poverty and myth.
Due to the female anatomical biology the woman tends to have greater chances of being infected since the infected male secretions stay in her longer than he gets exposed. More females are therefore carrying the virus and dying from AIDS and this further increases the stigma and discrimination of women. Of all the HIV infected cases in Swaziland about 60 % are women. Women are dying young from AIDS because some of them feel the pressure to keep having babies for the family. Yet this breaks down their immunity faster and they die young leaving behind orphans.
Women and children tend to work harder to support their families even when they themselves are ill. When the man is ill and stops work it is the wife who generally has the added burden of providing even financially to keep the home fires burning and send the children to school. Even when the women are ill they force themselves to go on fending for their families earning money through market vending, house keeping etc. in order to buy food for the family including the husband, who probably did not care when he was busy with other women in the city. The added burden of being a nurse to the man or another ill member of the family is weighing heavily on the women who are expected to cope and keep being strong even when they are ill. Many women are walking around tired and depressed by the effects of this epidemic.
Some men accuse the women of being promiscuous so as to cover up their promiscuity. The men's denial has forced many women out of fear not even to dare insist on the man to wear condoms or even themselves female condoms because they do not want to be accused of promiscuity then sent away by the man who provides financial support for the family. Some women are therefore trapped. In some cultures it is still considered a shame to abandon a marriage. (Till Death do us part)
In many societies men believe it is their prerogative to be promiscuous and women find themselves being part of a network of wives and concubines and therefore get infected with HIV, even when they have been faithful to their man. Society does not expect the women to walk out on a man because she suspects he is unfaithful. Many women and girls have persevered even though they knew they were at risk of getting HIV and AIDS. Unfortunately some women and girls retaliate by having affairs and thus worsening the epidemic.
More women are getting poorer now since some have to stop work (formal and informal), to nurse their ailing husbands. After the man dies the mourning years are harder for the woman who is stigmatised as a widow, culturally in Swaziland upon the death of a husband, the widow must go through a mourning period which can last for years. For a month after the funeral she remains under house arrest. The widow also has to wear black or mourning clothes for the duration of the stipulated mourning period. Acquiring employment because of the stigma associated with the cloths is made even harder.
Poverty is undeniably a crucial factor in the negative effects of HIV/AIDS on women and children; however we have noted that some other factors have been overlooked. Property seizure is proving to be as crucial. Women widowed by the pandemic as well as children orphaned by it are having their property, property that the widow and husband had acquired together, taken from them by the widow's in-laws or their paternal family members. What is of great note is that more often than not, it is the mother-in-law or aunts sisters-in-law who usually lead the pack when the property is seized.
The widow and the orphans are placed at a higher risk of extreme destitution. The lives of the orphans are forever changed because the pattern is for them to fall away from school. With no parents to ensure that they go to school, loss of funds for school fees or grandparents overwhelmed with their children's orphans, the children have to find themselves on the streets and thus the increasing numbers in street kids. The effects on the development of the country (Swaziland) which boasted of 80 % literacy rate in prior years will be devastating. Not only will there be more people with minimal education, the loss of the working generation will mean we have fewer mentors.
The old adage goes "An idle mind is the devils play ground." Due to the factor mentioned previously there is a tendency for the children to turn to criminal tendencies. In order to fend off hunger children might have to steal food, break into houses or turn to prostitution while on the streets. This is not only a risk to the children who carry out these activities - they might face jail time or the same fate as their parents, it is also a security risk to the security of the country. Girls (female children) orphaned or left to fend for themselves are more at risk of attaining the virus because they are being targeted to be sex slaves. They are offered food and even shelter in exchange for sex, which further exposes them to being infected at an early age.
Adding to the higher risk of girls to having higher infection rates and being infected earlier is the myth or belief by some men that having sex with a virgin will cleanse them of the virus. In fact the incidence of rape and incest is increasing in many countries. While more open reporting and availability of more support systems is probably a factor, it cannot be denied that the myth is a factor.
Children need to be children. Children that have stable homes or a caring family - immediate or extended - turn out to be better adults. Many children due to HIV/AIDS get thrown into adulthood and parenthood at an early age. They are forced by circumstances into nursing their ailing parents, and later take care of their siblings. They are deprived of the joy of being loved and just being a child. Sometimes a family member is willing to take them in, however if they have siblings it means separation from their last immediate family. Sometimes their rescuers cause more trauma as they are forced into families that will discriminate or use them as cheap labour. Additionally the trauma of losing both parents and being separated from their siblings is devastating. Many now prefer to be left together with their siblings to struggle and survive. This has created many child headed families. Those that are willing to be taken in by their willing relatives lose their brothers and sisters, school friends and home environment. Many children that are uprooted this way usually suffer emotional damage, even if they are provided for materially.
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This Pandemic HIV/AIDS is a Holocaust, the black plague of our century, reaching all continent, class and races. It was not anticipated financially and policy wise. It is causing untold damage. It needs international response that puts it into perspective instead of using it as a political tool. More people are dying now than the people that died in the First and Second World Wars.
Is it because of the geographical location Sub Saharan Africa that this devastation has gone unseen? Let us all do something to make a meaningful change to the lives of the affected people.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Governments need to address the following areas in order to relieve women of this heavy burden upon themselves. The leadership has to address this problem not only for the nation but for the innocent children involved. Governments have to provide food, shelter and education broadly in order to avert a rise in criminal activity.
1. Human Rights which are women rights
2. Property Rights
3. Education for girls
4. Economic independence for women
5. Prevention of violence against women and children
6. Do away with cultures and traditions that fan the spread the disease
7. Boys and Men need to be part of the solution
Thank you for your attention.
