Brenda Yufeh
27 Février 2004
The U.N Press Club in Yaounde last Wednesday x-rayed the relation between women and AIDS during its first come together of the year.
The United Nations Press Club, on Wednesday February 25, held its first meeting of the year. Focus during the forum which took place at the United Nations Information Centre was on the theme of this year International Women's Day "Gender and HIV/AIDS".
Documentation at the United Nations Information Centre hold that HIV infection is the most devastating new disease to have emerged in recent history. Although, it is a world-wide disease, women are more susceptible than men to infection in any given heterosexual encounter. This is due to certain biological factors: the greater area of mucous membrane exposed during sex in women, the greater quantity of fluids transferred from men to women; the higher viral content of male sexual fluids; and the micro wounds that can occur in the vaginal (or rectal) tissue. Young women may be especially susceptible to infection. Documents further state that women can be infected with the HIV virus through forced sex, unfortunately a common occurrence around the world. Indeed, the chances of women contracting HIV via a forced sexual encounter are probably higher than her chances of catching the diseases through an act of consensual sex, since forced sex often involves trauma and tissue tearing which can provide an open door to the virus. Gender norms may also have an impact on HIV transmission. For example, in many places, gender norms allow men to have more sexual partners than women, and encourage older men to have sexual relations with much younger women.
Discussing on the theme "Gender and HIV/AIDS", the representative from the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the fight against Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) is very important in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Presentation also came from the representative of Sub-regional Centre for Human Rights and Freedom, United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Aid (UNAIDS), UNICEF and the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MINCOF). Each representative gave a brief talk on how its organ is working to fight AIDS especially amongst women. The representative from MINCOF said that week-long activities to commemorate Women's Day will begin on March 1st.
As the Secretary General of United Nations, Kofi Annan, once said "AIDS has a woman face". It is for this reason that the United Nations hopes to raise awareness, motivate people to fight HIV/AIDS and to preserve human dignity.
The week of the Cameroon woman that precedes the International Woman's day will be an occasion for the U.N to sensitise the population on gender and HIV.
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