Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Violence and HIV/AIDS

Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Violence and
HIV/AIDS

Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director,
UNIFEM

Violence against women is the most pervasive violation
of human rights, occurring every day, in every country and every region,
regardless of income or level of development. Its true extent is unknown, owing
to fear of reprisal for reporting, refusal by authorities to recognize, or
knowledge that nothing will be done. However, WHO estimates that nearly one in
four women will be raped, beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her
lifetime — sometimes with fatal consequences. On 25 November, the International
Day to Eliminate Violence against Women, people around the world are coming
together to condemn this universal crime against women.

In the
context of HIV/AIDS, and in situations of war and conflict this daily reality of
violence against women intensifies — and becomes especially deadly. Almost half
of all people living with HIV/AIDS today are women, approximately 17 million. In
sub-Saharan Africa, it is more than half — and
young women age 15 to 24 are at least three times as likely to be infected with
HIV than are young men. A decade ago, women seemed peripheral to this pandemic,
now, they are at its epicentre.

Violence
against women is both a cause and consequence of rising rates of HIV infection:
a cause because rape and sexual assault pose a major risk factor for HIV
transmission, and consequence because HIV-positive status makes women more
likely to be targeted for abuse. Often, the perpetrator of violence is an
intimate partner. Deeply rooted in unequal power relations, sexual violence
occurs because women cannot negotiate safe sex or refuse unwanted
intercourse.

Violence is
tied also to the brutality of war, where women’s bodies have become part of the
battlefield. The systematic rape of tens of thousands of women by warring
factions has dramatically increased the HIV-infection rates in conflict zones,
leading to the destruction of women’s lives and the shattering of families and
communities.

Yet when a
woman discloses that she is sero-positive she may be attacked or ostracized
because of the stigma that is brought on the family. Pregnant women often are
tested for HIV at prenatal clinics and therefore more likely to be diagnosed
than their male partners. As a result, they are accused of being the source of
HIV transmission. And, because women are less likely than men to receive
treatment, they are also more likely to die.

In the
context of 25 November, UNIFEM, through the Trust Fund to Eliminate Violence
against Women, is awarding grants to 24 initiatives, in 30 countries, totalling
US$1.8 million. As we announce these grantees, we see three major actions needed
to break this vicious cycle of violence:

• First, countries
  must pass and enforce laws
  to deter acts of violence against women and reduce the spread of HIV. While
  many have strong laws in place, these are rarely implemented effectively,
  reducing their positive impact. With the help of the Trust Fund, grantees will
  increase their capacity to formulate domestic violence legislation, train
  judicial and law enforcement personnel to implement it and help bolster the
  provision of services for victims of gender-based violence.

• Second, we must
  encourage women who have suffered abuse to speak out. A life free of violence
  is their right. We have to break the culture of shame and stigma so that women
  can share their experiences and concerns. In the coming year, the Trust Fund
  will support positive women’s networks to break down the stigma and help
  establish solidarity groups for rape victims to call attention to the crimes
  committed against them.

• Third, we must
  continue to raise awareness on the links between violence against women and
  HIV/AIDS. The media is a key actor in this effort and several of these Trust
  Fund grantees will use radio and TV programmes to alert, to inform and to
  trigger change. It is also crucial to engage men and boys in this campaign —
  so they can be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

All of this
requires the commitment of resources. Ending violence against women, like other
pandemics, cannot be done on the cheap. The Trust Fund illustrates the need: of
more than 1,000 proposals submitted this year, only 24 could be supported. At
the 2005 World Summit, heads of state and government emphasized that progress
for women is progress for all and committed to eliminating discrimination and
violence against women. Today, UNIFEM is calling on world leaders to honour
these commitments and come together to support the Trust Fund. The successful
strategies that we support every year must be scaled up, making the leap from
“good practices” to standard practice. As a member of the Global Coalition on
Women and AIDS, we also ask that you help us use the Trust Fund to leverage our
knowledge and action to break the vicious cycle between violence and
HIV/AIDS.