Social Change Needed to Aid Sustainable Development

By Qurratul-Ain-Tahmina

Sustainable development in the face of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic essentially requires a process of social change, panellists at a session on how best to tackle the effects of the disease agreed.

Access to benefits, security and economic empowerment must go together, said Kamogelo Lekubu-Wilderson from the South African NGO National Network on Violence Against Women. On another front, as opposed to male condoms, female-controlled protection methods need to be developed. “Otherwise we are doomed,” she said.

Sixty percent of South African girls, nine to 12 years old are victims of sexual violence, often committed by close family members. And 90 percent of the girls between 14 and 19 years of age are sexually active. Such social realities of violence make more girls than boys vulnerable to HIV infection, said Lekubu-Wilderson.

Although South Africa has policies of gender equality, in everyday life women are in a position of subjugation and are often forced into sexual activity because of poverty, unemployment, and other social and economic insecurities, said Wilderson.

“Be it in the private or public sphere,” she added, “a woman has no effective control over her reproductive health, which manifests another form of sexual violence, and puts her at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections and HIV.”

Prevailing religious and cultural norms and values weaken a woman’s position. “If a woman is found to be HIV positive,” said Wilderson, “the community always blames her for bringing shame upon them.” And lack of access to benefits compromises a girl’s position more than that of boys. “A disproportionately high number of girls are found in prostitution,” added Wilderson.

While some of the participants at this weekend’s session had questions about this gender-specific approach to AIDS, no one seemed to argue the need for community involvement in combating HIV/AIDS. “A prevention-only approach cannot work for HIV/AIDS,” said panellist Gail Snetra from the Save the Children Fund (U.S.). “It needs to be prevention, care, support and mitigation all combined. And for such a programme to be sustainable, it has to be a community responsive programme, with full participation and ownership of the affected community.”

The programme called Community-based Options for Protection and Empowerment (COPE) aims at mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and their families. Communities identify, monitor, assist and protect orphans from AIDS and other vulnerable children. They offer home-based care to chronically and terminally ill community members, providing the safety net that once used to come from extended families. They advocate for HIV/AIDS affected children and families to eliminate social stigma and help them get services, care and support.

“When the community people care for someone, the problem becomes real to them,” said Snetra. “They get to feel why orphans and chronically ill persons are increasing.”

The COPE approach involves every sector from the government to the church. The young people play a major role in it. COPE facilitates open discussions about HIV, reporting on child abuse, and encourages condom use among other things. It runs on the principle that each community has its own problem and own approach to them.

The COPE has been running for quite some time in four countries of Africa and it has been a success, claims SCF (U.S.). “When communities are mobilised,” said Snetra, “they identify their problems, plan actions, carry those out and evaluate their own performances. They become the agent of their own change and that’s why the change is sustainable.”

The session recommended that:

a) HIV should not be regarded just as an epidemic, but as a community health and developmental issue;
b) More and more accessible resources be allocated for treatment;
c) Rural people must have access to voluntary counselling and testing facilities;
d) The socio-economic aspect of HIV prevalence needs to be addressed;
e) Those affected with HIV should be provided with financial grants.

It demanded the implementation of these recommendations within the next five years.