HIV/AIDS Crisis in Southern Africa

Posted: 17 June 2005

Why HIV/AIDS is hitting women the hardest, and how improving policies, laws, and women’s rights is essential to fighting the epidemic.

Southern Africa, home of a mere two percent of the world’s population, is the site of 30 percent of HIV/AIDS-infected people. More than half of the people living with HIV/AIDS in the region are women. And a recent UN report shows that in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Zambia, 75 percent of the infected people in the 15-24 age group, the most heavily infected, are females.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is hitting women the hardest because they are the poorest, least powerful members of society. They suffer high rates of domestic and sexual violence, and endure discrimination in laws, policies, and traditions that deny them basic rights. The intersection of the HIV/AIDS crisis with poverty, unemployment, lack of education, and responsibilities for caring for sick family members further limits opportunities for women and girls. AIDS death rates for women will have serious implications for the future of the region.

Oxfam America is building on its successful program of women’s rights to address gender inequalities in the areas of public health policy, law, and human rights that are contributing to the severity of the HIV/AIDS crisis, particularly for women. Immediate target countries for this program are Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa.

Change is possible: Recent legal reforms in Mozambique, where a new Family Law allows women greater rights than ever, as well as an influential women’s rights coalition in Zimbabwe that is pushing for a new law on domestic violence, show the potential.

Expanding on these legal reform efforts, Oxfam America is helping organizations seeking to:

Promote equitable access to social services such as health care and education, social security programs, law enforcement, and treatment for HIV/AIDS patients.
Defend women’s rights, promote human rights education, and other efforts to shift society and traditions to better respect for women.
Free women, girls, and AIDS orphans from all forms of violence, help them defend their rights and protect their safety and health.
Advocate for better laws ands policies that respect women’s rights.