Tomorrow, 8 March, marks yet another year of celebrating International Women’s Day.
This year, the theme is ‘Accelerate Action’. However, without the necessary support for implementation, there is minimum hope that accelerated action will take place.
The Trump administration’s decision to freeze funding for HIV-AIDS programmes has consequences that threaten the gains made in gender equality, women’s empowerment and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Young women between the ages of 15-24 years bear a disproportionate brunt of new HIV infections in Namibia.
Forty-one percent of new infections occur in this age group and HIV incidence among women is twice that of the male population.
New HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Namibia is high because they are unable to negotiate the current HIV prevention options of abstinence, condom use and monogamy in their relationships.
They prefer to access female-controlled, HIV prevention technologies, such as microbicides which are not readily available.
Further, AGYW’s vulnerability to infection and risk-taking is increased by cultural attitudes that make it difficult for them to negotiate safer sex.
Factors such as gender inequality, tolerance for harmful social-cultural practices that put AGYW at risk – cross-generational sex, incest, patriarchal cultural norms, values and practices including those that oppress women, as well as their low socio-economic conditions – perpetuate their vulnerability to HIV infection and mortality.
WOMEN MOST AT RISK OF DYING
Estimates of people living with HIV in 2023 were 220 000 (all ages) with adult prevalence rates at 11%, of whom 14.2% are women and 7.7% are men (2022 Spectrum Estimates).
The highest deaths occur between the ages of 15 and 64 years, with women having a higher mortality rate compared to men across all age groups.
To divert the high new HIV infection rates among AGYW, several cash transfer initiatives were initiated through the Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDSFree, Mentored, and Safe (Dreams) Namibia Project.
This was done under the auspices of Project Hope Namibia and funded by the United States (US) President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through the US Agency International Development (USAID).
The Dreams project contributed to Namibia’s National Strategic Framework on HIV-AIDS and the National Agenda for Children, specifically focusing on strengthening AGYW programmes.
The aim is to ensure they are educated, healthy, economically and socially empowered, and free from violence and discrimination.
During its initial phase, the Dreams project provided commodities and support to AGYW and families (i.e. transportation, stationery, school uniforms, sanitary pads, and an emergency cash fund).
WE NEED TO ACT ON FUNDING GAPS
Non-governmental organisations funded by USAID are likely to scale down on AGYW programmes because of the Trump administration’s aid cuts.
As a result, there are concerns of a potential surge in HIV infections among AGYW.
Thus, the government needs to act swiftly to mitigate the situation by focusing on HIV prevention among AGYW and to support campaigns to combat stigma and discrimination surrounding the disease.
These campaigns should devise methods to enable adolescent girls and young women to access treatment.
Namibia has committed to prioritising human rights and gender equality in health service provisions in several of its policies.
In particular, the 2023-2028 HIV-AIDS National Strategic Framework aims to ensure that no one is discriminated against, stigmatised and violated based on their HIV status, gender, sex and sexuality, socio-economic status, ability, choice of work and geographical location.
In the face of the Trump administration backtracking on the US’s commitment, we need to guard against losing the momentum of women empowerment and gender equality attained so far.
It is pivotal for Namibia to look inward and safeguard its interests.
The government needs to pronounce itself on the accelerated action it intends to take to uphold the gender equality gains made.
Safeguarding the lives of adolescent girls and young women is not Donald Trump’s responsibility.
Happy International Women’s Day: ‘Accelerate Action’.
- – Immaculate Mogotsi, senior researcher and gender expert; immaculatemogotsi@gmail.com
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