* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Sarah West is media manager at the International Aids Alliance. The opinions expressed are her own.
As we mark International Women’s Day we are reminded how challenging the situation remains for many women around the world, particularly for those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
Cicilia is a widow, a mother of two, and is living with HIV. During Sudan’s civil war she was hit by shrapnel and had to have her right leg amputated. She had found it impossible to make a living.
She received an income-generating loan from a community-based organisation in South Sudan called Widows, Orphans and People Living with HIV/AIDS (WOPHA), which supports widows, orphans and people living with HIV and it changed her life.
“Stress has gone,” says Cicilia…Before the loan we would consider begging.”
Cicilia used her loan to set up a business in Yei market, selling chickens and embroidery items.
The business management training she received gave her the skills to purchase wholesale goods in Juba, which she has sold on at enough profit to pay back her loan, and provide for her family.
As a result, life changed for Cicilia and her children. “I’m able to send my children to school, they are stronger, and have hope for their education. . . and I’m able to buy them Christmas presents!”
WOPHA is one of four income generating projects the International HIV/AIDS Alliance supports with training and small grants in South Sudan.
This is just one example. Research shows that combining health and poverty reduction programmes is critical for achieving both health and social benefits for women.
Social, political and economic factors all play an important role in increasing or decreasing women’s vulnerability to HIV as they can determine what is culturally acceptable and how resources and knowledge are distributed.
The right for women and girls to own property and land is often limited and their social position weakened by a lack of economic independence. This can increase women’s vulnerability to HIV by undermining their bargaining position within the family and community.
The numbers of women and girls living with HIV has increased in every region of the world and millions of women continue to be indirectly affected by the epidemic.
Tackling poverty and improving the economic empowerment of women can make a real difference in protecting women from getting infected, help them manage care giver responsibilities and deal with the discrimination and stigma that can affect those living with HIV.
