Malawi extreme poverty correspondent to high HIV risks amongst women -Wilsa

from the Nyasa Times

By Nyasa Times Reporter on 11 February, 2008 06:29:00

Executive Director for Women and Law for Southern Africa (Wilsa) Malawi Chapter say the fight against the HIV Aids pandemic in Malawi will remain a pipe dream unless stakeholders and policy makers start addressing the problem as a gender and human rights issue.

Wilsa Executive Director, Seode White said this in Blantyre during a media breakfast briefing on the findings of a research conducted by her organisation.

According to White, the research findings yet to be formally published has revealed that extreme poverty drives women to engage in high risk behaviour that result into them catching HIV Aids.

''Poverty has a female face and the perception that men are a source of economic support is one of the main contributing factors spreading the pandemic,'' said White.

The Wilsa boss said because of extreme poverty and cultural factors women are unable to negotiate for safe sex therefore making them vulnerable to the scourge.

She said that in some areas, it was shocking to hear married women were forced to sleep with guards just to access firewood in forests. In such scenarios, White said the women have no time and power to negotiate for safe sex.

In areas where there are tea estates, supervisors ask for sex from female job seekers in exchange for employment . While in the lakeshore district of Nkhotakota, women were sleeping with anglers to access fish, which they have to buy.

White said there is need to change the mindset of both men and women over sex where women normally play subordinate to the demands of men.

The research on the women's vulnerability to HIV transmission was conducted in the districts of Dedza, Nkhotakota, Mzimba, Mulanje and Mangochi districts with funding from National Aids Commission( NAC) .