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ZIMBABWE
Defying Patriarchal Attitude Pays Off
By Lewis Machipisa
HARARE, (IPS) - Defying the deep-rooted patriarchal attitude among
men in Zimbabwe, Joy Mabenge teamed up with women to fight for a
gender balanced society. When he joined the group, it never crossed
his mind that some men might even speculate about his sexual orientation.
''Most men couldn't have openly said they supported what the women's
groups were preaching,'' recalls Mabenge, a middle aged man.
While a number of women's organisations challenging men to change
their gender stereotypes emerged in 1990s, there were no male organisations
working together with the women's movement in the struggle for gender
equality.
''For women, who were starting to fight for equality and the upliftment
of women, it would not have made sense to employ men in the organisations,''
says Mabenge.
So Padare -- Men's Forum on Gender -- was formed in 1995. Padare
is among this year's winners of the Africa Prize for Leadership
in HIV/AIDS Winners announced by The Hunger Project based in New
York.
Referred to as the ''Nobel Prize for Africa'', the Hunger Project's
14th Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger
honours the courageous individuals on the frontlines of the struggle
to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
According its founder, Jonah Gokovah, Padare was created to ''alter
the reasoning on which a false image and role of men has been promoted
at the expense of women.'' ''Padare believes that men can change
and that they are already a few men who want to live and relate
to women in a just and dignified manner,'' he says.
The organisation's name is derived from the traditional 'padare'
setting where an all-male parley meets to discuss issues.
''The forum brings together men who want to question and challenge
the status quo of gender stereotypes,'' says Gokova.
Padare examines the underlying male stereotypes that have led to
the spread of HIV/AIDS and asserts that the best way to curtail
the transmission of HIV/AIDS is to target behavioural and attitudinal
change in men.
It convenes workshops to address how men's behaviour facilitates
the spread of HIV/AIDS and how men can become involved in prevention
and care.
Guided by the theme, ''men can make a difference'', Padare has developed
programmes that target behavioural change in men and boys in the
area of gender relations.
Padare asserts that the best way to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS
is to target behavioural and attitudinal change in men. In Zimbabwe
one in four sexually active adults has AIDS.
''As a men's organisation there is frankness when we discuss these
issues. The high rise of HIV/AIDS is probably as a result of reckless
behaviour of men and unless that changes, the fight against the
disease would be difficult to win,'' says Mabenge.
According to UNAIDS, young girls are more prone to being infected
with the virus not by boys their own age, but by older men known
as 'Sugar Daddies'.
Most of the young girls are infected during their first few exposures
to sex, maybe even during their very first, the study found out.
According to the UNAIDS research, ''men say they prefer to have
young girls because they find them cheaper as opposed to older women.
They also think that young girls are safe.'' The study found HIV
infection rates of 15 percent to 23 percent among girls ages between
15 and 19 years old, and rates of 26 to 40 percent among men aged
25 or more.
Among boys aged 15 to 19 years old, the HIV infection was found
to be just three to four percent.
The study, according to UNAIDS, provides the strongest evidence
yet that dramatically links high levels in teenage girls to sexual
contact with older men.
In its award winning fight, Padare uses a media and outreach campaign
to publicly discuss men's roles, including sensitising male journalists
and political groups to gender issues.
Groups meet in every province of the country, engaging in networking
and advocacy campaigns with both women's and men's organisations.
In all of its work, Padare's objectives are to create a forum for
men to question and reject gender stereotypes and roles that privilege
men, oppress women and challenge structures and institutions perpetuating
gender inequality in Zimbabwean society.
Other winners include Ms Jacob of Tanzania who is Living Positively
with HIV/AIDS. After diagnosed with HIV in 1993, Jacob became a
visible spokesperson in the HIV/AIDS movement, educating and advocating
for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).
She assisted in founding the Service Health and Development for
People Living Positively with HIV/AIDS (SHDEPHA+), created to provide
a safe and open space for PLWHA to discuss issues and concerns.
Her tremendous courage has empowered others living with HIV/AIDS
to come forth and become spokespersons.
The other winner is the Reverend Bishop Dennis de Jong, Roman Catholic
Diocese of Ndola, Zambia. Under his leadership the Catholic Diocese
created the Integrated AIDS Programme in 1993 to stop the spread
of HIV/AIDS and provide care to those already infected or orphaned
from AIDS.
Ethiopia's HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Support Organisation (HAPCSO-HIWOT),
is the fourth winner for its work to bring about behavioural change
that will curb the present rate of transmission of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia.
(END/IPS)
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