Elizabeth Mataka

Elizabeth Mataka who was born at Francistown,Botswana was the United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. Quotes Africa needs to realise that without dealing with the issue of women, there will be no progress in turning HIV/Aids around. Unless we empower women we will remain with limited success. We need to build capacity and women’s leadership so that they take control of programmes that are designed for the needs of women. We must have the same thing with women’s empowerment. We must have definite programmes so that women are supported. Look at the economic position of women. Most women find themselves totally dependent on their male partner. That tends to limit their negotiating power in terms of safer sex. How many women if they went for testing would go home and announce their status if they were positive and hope to remain in that home? And if they are thrown out of the house, what options do they have? Where do they go? Women are under real pressure to remain in a marriage,Mostly society will not support a woman in her decision to divorce if she thinks marriage is risky. People just say: ‘That’s how it is. That’s how men are.’ They need support to get away from risky situations. There is new hope in Africa.People are mounting prevention and treatment programmes in the workplace, addressing issues of stigma and defending the rights of people living with HIV/Aids. Africa still needs international support,there must be an African solution to this problem. ‘Help women help themselves’,Mail&Guardian, November 28 2007 I have been reflecting on exactly what ‘violence’ in the violence against women means. The more I thought about the subject, the more I realized that violence now has many shapes and colours, it has transcended the violence of physical, sexual and psychological assault, touched down on political and economic harm and now moved into the space of complicity by silence. This information, I am aware, is not new – women in our region have for many years been what has been coined ‘the face of the epidemic’ - but what this new data has done is brought home the realization that nothing, nothing has changed for women. When it comes to women, why are we so slow to act? With statistics such as these, we are facing a critical emergency, we are rapidly moving towards an Africa without women. Allowing this to happen is violence against women. You may not conduct a physical assault, but being silent is being complicit and non-action is now a violent act. UN Special Envoy speaks out on violence against women, UNAIDS, November 26 2007 It is indisputable that domestic violence is one of the serious drivers of the spread of HIV/AIDS in this country, and at its bedrock is the issue of poor empowerment and economic status of women. Time has come for concrete actions that will directly impact the lives of the women on the ground. There are no two ways about it: we just have to give our women enough resources for them to become independent of all abusive men. Fear of violence blocks access to HIV/AIDS services,The New Humanitarian,December 19 2007 External Links Category:HIV/AIDS Category:Africa Category:People from Botswana