Feminist Knowledge | Health/Reproductive Health

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Please note that these papers have been obtained from a range of sources and are not peer-reviewed.

HIV and the ABC: A Dual between Western-Christian Morality and African Patriarchy
by Lucy Edwards

The XV International Conference on HIV/Aids that was held in Bangkok in 2004 brought into focus the ideological struggle over human sexuality. Conservative political discourses are imposing Western-Christian sexual morality encapsulated in the ABC prevention campaigns across social, historical and cultural contexts. This article critically examines whether the ABC rule reflects the diverse sexual cultures in Namibia and whether it speaks to the majority experience. It contends that individuals are not completely autonomous from their socio-cultural conditions and that a patriarchal political economy and patriarchal sexual cultures are at the core of continued HIV spread. Empirical evidence confirms that in addition to the biological factors there are structural inequalities that give rise to risky sexual behaviour this in turn increases women's vulnerability to HIV exposure. The evidence further suggests that people do not always act out of their own volition and decisions about abstinence, monogamy and even condom-use are contingent on power relationships within sexual unions and the broader cultural and socio-economic conditions that create the gender inequalities. This article is based on a research study that was conducted in informal settlements around the Namibian capital Windhoek . A triangulation of research methods used included a baseline survey (714 respondents), separate female and male focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The article was extracted from a broader research report on diverse issues. It was written in response to the debates at the Bangkok conference.

A Different Kind of Revolution*
by Sisonke Msimang

Gender and HIV/AIDS: An Analysis of Zimbabwe's National Policies and Programs on HIV/AIDS/STIS

Southern Africa: Gender and HIV: A Discussion with Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS

Gender Equity and Equality in Health: a Ugandan Analysis
By Margaret Kemigisa