4/14/2011
The Zambian government is failing to address the life-threatening obstacles facing Zambian women living with HIV who experience domestic and gender based violence. Gender-based violence and insecure property rights are preventing Zambian women from accessing life-saving antiretroviral treatment. There was a report that details abuses that obstruct women’s ability to start and adhere to HIV treatment regimens, including violence against women and insecure property rights that often force women into poverty and dependent, abusive relationships. You start to wonder what the government has done about this situation. A 96 page report was written and it had showed how the government has fallen short of its international legal obligations to combat violence and discrimination against women. You then see that the government hasn’t done much to handle this problem. These women have a fear of violence which prevented them from wanting to seek HIV information, tests, discouraged them from disclosing their HIV status to partners etc. It’s sad to see women like this, feeling trapped and lost in their own lives. They seem to be in a lose-lose situation. On one hand they have to deal with a disease that will kill them real quick without the proper treatment and on the other hand they have to deal with their husbands who will probably cause more violence to them if found out. These women shouldn’t have to deal with this and should be getting the proper treatment that they deserve. The men need to be prosecuted for their crimes and should not give these women fear of doing something that will save their lives.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2007/12/18/zambia-abuses-against-women-obstruct-hiv-treatment
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