Women And Girls Key to Stopping Spread of HIV/Aids
allAfrica.com: PanAfricaUhhmm...gentlemen, please forgive me the need to rant, I'd ideally pad quietly into a pink velvet room and put on makeup until I'm in a better mood again. Oh, and I'll happily shoulder the responsibility for stopping AIDS. After all, men can't help the passionate urges they feel in their bellies. Lord knows that when a man needs to take care of his needs, we women should automatically be available for him. And should he want to deny protection, we will accomodate. And should we become pregnant and bear children, it's our responsibility. Lastly, should the man infect us with a fatal disease, that's our responsibility too.
Sheesh.
This is typical of African sexism - overt, condescending, no holds barred. This article illustrates the extent to which women are still considered substandard members of society. They bow their heads down, work hard, and essentially carry the weight of the entire society on their shoulders. Men, on the other hand, roam lazily around town trying to make a buck here and there, pilfering off the womens' labor, and looking for succulent new cuts of steak to dine on in the backs of buildings. Crass, yes. But true.
African women are the glue that hold Africa's toothpick civilizations* together. As a collective, they know this. However, they live under a shroud of punishment, betrayal, and belittlement.
They are responsible for the food, the drink, the sanitation, the children, and the husband. Ostensibly strong, they become diminuitive when faced with male demands. Women who break out of this mold are either overtly punished or outcasted from their communities. African women, many of whom have the strongest spirit on the planet, crumble like salt before the demands of men.
When I read the above article, which proclaims in print that African women should shoulder responsibility for one of the greatest scourges that's hit the continent in modern times, I shuddered. The women are not the ones wasting time, chewing kola nuts, and perusing for sex. They're working themselves to the bone to keep their families alive. Taking responsibility for a blight that's largely out of control precisely because of the behavior of men is preposterous. Here, honey, go have sex. Go spread your disease. It's only my fault, after all. I should have been a better wife and taken better care of you. Right.
The last paragraph of the article says it best:
"Prevention and care programmes need to address inequalities between men and women. That is why, for example, the Commonwealth is actively engaging with men to advocate responsible sexual behaviour including the use of condoms. Even when a woman knows what safe sex is, she is too often forced to risk her life because of male power."
'Even when a woman knows what safe sex is?' I won't even start on that.
*African societies are strong, almost impermeable in some senses. However, when one looks at the dire economic circumstances that plague most communities, the toothpick analogy is valid.
posted by Andrea @ 4:34 PM
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