Africa: Gender Inequality Fuels AIDS Crisis

Agencies trying to curb the AIDS crisis in Africa need to expand their approach, argues Human Rights Watch. There is a crucial link between gender inequality and the spread of AIDS. Sexual assault, the use of rape as a mechanism of war, the cultural acceptance of domestic violence, and women's lack of voice have kept women at the mercy of the disease in Africa. On that continent, women are still threatened with violence if they ask their partners to use condoms; furthermore, most of them remain uneducated and are less likely to know about contraceptive options. These all make the spread of AIDS even easier. Righting gender inequality, says Joanne Csete, director of the HIV/AIDS Program at Human Rights Watch, is as critical as "keeping the blood supply clean." – YaleGlobal