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“Putting Ourselves to the Test: Achieving Equity to End HIV” 2022 World Aids Day, Theme
In a UNAIDS report released in conjunction with World AIDS day,(1st December) the organization said that inequalities are obstructing the end of AIDS.
“The world will not be able to defeat AIDS while reinforcing patriarchy,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima.
“We need to address the intersecting inequalities women face. In areas of high HIV burden, women subjected to intimate partner violence face up to a 50% higher chance of acquiring HIV. Across 33 countries from 2015-2021 only 41% of married women aged 15-24 could make their own decisions on sexual health”, explained Winnie Byanyima.
According to the report, The effects of gender inequalities on women’s HIV risks are especially pronounced in sub- Saharan Africa, where women accounted for 63% of new HIV infections in 2021.
The report said that unequal power dynamics between men and women and harmful gender norms increase the HIV vulnerability of women and girls in all their diversity, deprive them of their voice and the ability to make decisions regarding their own lives, reduce their ability to access services that meet their needs, increase their risks of experiencing violence or other harms, and hamper their ability to mitigate the impact of AIDS.
Original article published by UN News
