Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director,
UNIFEM
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
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:
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.