Empowered women are key to eradicating HIV/AIDS epidemic
Gender-related inequalities threaten the right to overall good health and add to HIV vulnerability. The massive and vigorous spread of HIV/AIDS worlwide is not just a health issue. It is a human development, equity, equality and gender issue. It continues to have a staggering impact on women's health and on the social and economic stability of nations.
An estimated five million new HIV infections occurred worldwide during 2003; that is, about 14,000 infections each day. More than 95 percent of these new infections occurred in developing countries, and nearly 50 percent were among females.(1) In 2003 alone, HIV/AIDS-associated illnesses caused the deaths of approximately three million people worldwide, including an estimated 500,000 children younger than 15 years.
The United Nations estimates that adolescents have the fastest growing rate of HIV infection, with close to 6,000 infected each day. Girls are up to six times more likely to be infected with HIV/AIDS than boys, for biological and social reasons. Power imbalances and prevailing views about masculinity play a particularly strong role in the growing levels of infection among young women, especially those in cross-generational relationships-as social norms strongly influence the spread of HIV.
Vulnerability to infection and risk-taking is increased by cultural attitudes that make it inappropriate for women to be knowledgeable about sex or to suggest condom use; by the common link between substance abuse and the exchange of sex for drugs or money; and by the economic need experienced by some migrant and refugee women that often leads them to resort to work in the sex trade.
HIV-positive women must battle not only the virus, but also the most violent forms of stigma and discrimination. The tragic toll expands to communities, especially those in which women have a key role in ensuring economic and food security for their families.
Gender inequalities in access to economic resources required to obtain medical treatments and health services also limit women's access to HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support, including anti-retroviral therapies.
The Canadian Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent have been actively advocating that the humanitarian needs and concerns should prevail over commercial concerns to ensure access to life-saving drugs in developing countries. The present balance of resource allocation and pricing of drugs is unacceptable and in need of change.
As such, the Canadian Red Cross commends the Canadian Government for its leadership in passing legislation in the form of Bill C-9 (http://www.aidslaw.ca/) that will allow the manufacturing and export of cheaper, generic medicines to developing countries needing lower-cost drugs to deal with devastating public health problems such as HIV/AIDS. To show leadership and to strengthen the impact of this bill, the Red Cross encourages the Canadian Government to ensure that all countries have access to the benefits of this bill. It also stresses the need for incentives for generic drug companies to negotiate contracts with developing countries without multiple risks of refusal from patent holding pharmaceutical companies.
The Canadian Red Cross is committed to the advancement of human rights and empowerment locally and globally of all vulnerable groups, including women. It calls for greater commitment from Canada to support programs for prevention and eradication of the HIV/AIDS epidemic which gravely impacts women throughout the world.
For more information or to arrange interviews, please call:
Suzanne Charest
Communications Officer
Tel: (613) 740-1928
