The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Ghana) in collaboration with the Tema Metropolitan Aids Committee has organised a one-day policy dialogue forum in Tema to provide recommendations to policy makers on how to improve access to justice for AIDS and HIV infected and affected women.
The forum, which brought together stakeholders, representatives of Civil Society Organisations and state institutions, implored the judiciary to improve on knowledge relating to the stigmatisation of people living with HIV and AIDS.
The forum, on the theme, “Promoting and protecting the rights of women affected and infected by HIV and AIDS” also called on (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service to apply the law to protect people with the infection.
A member of FIDA Ghana, Mrs Chris Dadzie, who made a presentation on the role of legal aid institutions in providing comprehensive legal assistance for women infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. urged members of the public to curb activities which stigmatised infected people.
She noted that though there was a law that ensured that infected people were protected, the legal system had not defended them adequately, and therefore encouraged some people to violate the rights of infected people.
Mrs Dadzie appealed to NGOs working to educate the public to defend the infected people and intensify their operations to change the concept of discrimination against infected people.
She was optimistic that the legal system might change for the better if the stakeholders intensified their operations to defend women who were discriminated against.
Mrs Dadzie said the 1992 Constitution had provisions on the Criminal Code, the Domestic Violence Act, Labour Act, Intestate Succession Act and the HIV/Aids policy all of which point to human rights violation against women, among others.
Mrs Dadzie emphasised the need for a legal framework and environment to prevent HIV, noting that inadequate access to health care , legal services, resources for economic security and participation in decision-making at all levels had affected the human rights of the affected people.
She called on people living with the virus who had been stigmatised to consult officials of DOVVSU, Social Welfare, FIDA and the CBOs for support and advice on their rights.
The Tema Metropolitan HIV and AIDS Focal Person, Mr Kwame Brefo-Boateng, said according to the National HIV Prevalence and AIDs Estimates, an estimated 236,151 persons lived with HIV in Ghana in the year 2008, with an adult prevalence rate of 1.7 per cent.
He stated that the prevalence rate in Tema at the same time was 2.0 per cent, which hitherto was 2.2 per cent in 2007, 3.6 per cent in 2006 and 2.7 per cent in 2005.
Mr Brefo-Kwame said most of the cases involved people between the prime ages of 20 and 45.
He said Tema used to rank among other towns with a prevalence rate of 6.4 per cent, which was above the National average of 3.1 per cent.
Mr Brefo-Kwame urged them not to be complacent but continue to take precautions and avoid practices which would put them in situations that could lead to infection.
Speaking on negative socio-cultural practices and women's vulnerablity to violence, HIV and AIDS, Mr Brefo-Kwame appealed to every individual to be bold to go for testing to ascertain their status to help reduce infection and also mitigate the impact of the disease on health and socio-economic activities while promoting lifestyles.
Mr Brefo-Kwame outlined some negative socio-cultural practices that influenced female vulnerability to HIV infections to include widowhood rites, societal acceptance of polygamy and extramarital affairs rape, early sexual activity, truancy and broken home.
He said drug abuse and refusal to use condoms could be contributory factors to infection of the disease.
Mr Brefo-Kwame recounted violence against women to include rape, child marriage, female genital mutilation, widow inheritance, religious bondage and attacks on house helps as socio-cultural practices that had been meted out to women
He said the disease still had no cure, and therefore appealed to women, to lead healthy lifestyles to avoid being infected by the disease. An infected middle-aged man who attended the forum disclosed that those affected by the disease were stigmatsed, citing himself as an example.
He said neighbours had on a daily basis harrassed him and his wife, making life uncomfortable.
The man living with the HIV/AIDS appealed to FIDA and DOVVSU to come clear on the laws which made it illegal for people to stigmatise those living with the disease.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
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