Gender based violence (GBV) is rooted in socio-economic
inequality and can take many forms including emotional, mental, sexual, verbal,
and physical abuse. GBV can affect males and females but women and children are
most vulnerable because they are seen as occupying inferior positions to men.
Although it is argued that women are biologically more
vulnerable to HIV infection, it has been found that women who are exposed to
GBV are also more likely to be HIV-positive because of the small tears in the
vagina which allow HIV to enter the body can occur during the often violent act
of rape while the use of condoms cannot be effectively negotiated for by most
women.
In an interview with Nontyatyambo Makapela from the AIDS legal network (ALN), a human rights organisation based in South Africa, I came
to realise that violence and other rights abuses against women have become an
integral part in the women’s rights discourse. Meaning there is arguably a link between high cases of GBV against women
and the high HIV prevalence rate by women.
“Our rights are violated everywhere as women, and because of
my gender I am more prone to discrimination. There are double layers, different
layers of violations that women have to go through so basically these are the
realities of faced by women in the contested of HIV,” says Makapela.
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She further explains how women are more vulnerable to HIV: “In
reality a woman can get access to a female condom at the clinic but it’s
another story when she gets home she is then compelled to negotiate the use of
that female condom with my partner.”
Recently, the National Aids Council (NAC) identified gender
imbalances as one of the key drivers of HIV. According to research, women in
Zimbabwe account for more that 60 percent of the 1.2 million people living with
HIV in the country.
Now it is therefore our role to play as society to ensure
that women are not at risk to such factors that will at the end of the day make
them vulnerable to diseases like HIV.
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