The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dr. Sadia

Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise, the theme for World AIDS Day 2007, which is the worldwide campaign until 2010.

This year's theme of leadership encourages you to 'Take the Lead' in responding to key issues surrounding HIV/AIDS issues such as stigma and discrimination; access to medicines and better prevention, treatment, support and care. Leaders with vision, passion, and perseverance, who lead with personal engagement, inspire others to become engaged and make a huge difference in the response of communities to and are better example in the response to HIV/AIDS.

According to latest statistics from WHO/UN, AIDS has killed more than 25 million people and an estimated 33.2 million people all over the world are living with HIV. Out of this 30% are women and 10% are children (below 15 years). Despite the improved access to ARV treatment and care, the AIDS epidemic is killing at least 5700 people per day all over the world. Despite rampant awareness 6800 people are getting infected everyday all over the world.

In December 2006, the GOB reported that 874 people were living with HIV/AIDS in the country, with a total of 240 AIDS cases. However, UNAIDS reported in June 2007 there were some 11,000 people living with HIV. HIV has turned into concentrated epidemic among Injecting Drug Users (IDU), which reported 7 percent.

A government survey found that out of 216 new HIV positive cases identified in 2006, unemployed people were on top of the list at 39.35 percent followed by housewives at 21.29 percent and businessmen at 10.18 percent.

Injecting drug users (IDU) in Dhaka are at high risk of HIV/AIDS, according to new study by ICDDRB. HIV prevalence in Dhaka has dramatically risen to 7 percent from 1.7 percent in last six years. Sharing of injection equipment is common in most IDU surveyed. the IDU are not isolated as they have sex partners, both commercial and non-commercial, they rarely use condoms and some sell blood. IDU are also mobile traveling from one city to another and sharing injection equipment in different cities. Mobility is major factor that increases the risk of acquiring and spreading HIV infection among the non-drug users.

The adolescent and youth are also vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. A survey among adolescents and young people (15-24 years) in 2005 revealed that only one out of 3 males in urban and 1out of 4 in rural areas had correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Nearly 59 percent of married women and 42 percent of men of 15-54 age group have no knowledge as how to avoid HIV.

Mandatory testing for HIV infection is common in many countries before traveling and those returning from countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence, Bangladesh should follow these norms. To prevent a major epidemic, Bangladesh needs to address HIV/AIDS communication strategy; secondly, concentrating on groups most vulnerable to the infection; thirdly, working with the general population (community mobilization and community supports); and fourthly, care and support to those already infected and affected by HIV/AIDS have to be provided (voluntary counseling). Dissemination and advocacy can also play a big role.

We need to change our society through public policy research, public awareness, increased funding, and community education. Above all Bangladesh should immediately translate its HIV/AIDS policies into action to benefit the people and for that reason we need strong and an effective leadership. Otherwise HIV/AIDS will destroy the economic growth of the country. We the inhabitants of this planet are to work hard together to control this scourge because to conquer AIDS any where.

AIDS prevention may entail a multi-pronged approach which integrates reproductive health literacy, women empowerment and provision of such protective measure as condoms, prevention of sexual violence as well as safeguarding human rights. Assessing specific responses to non-discriminatory practices and identifying the risk factors for HIV/AIDS for both women and men along with defusing the associated stigma and gender based violence come in containing the impact of HIV/AIDS on a sector comprehensively. As a result, AIDS education and work-place prevention underpinned by well-founded gender policy are able to internalise the gender development effectively.

Inclusive initiatives have to be taken on the urgent basis in Bangladesh to empower women and enhance their abilities to withstand health threats like HIV/AIDS. Catering to the vulnerable groups especially the destitute and disadvantaged women, there is a need for generating different pilot interventions and educational effort in response to campaign of AIDS prevention.

Strategies and interventions should tune in to sensitising policy makers, senior health planners, programme managers and other implementers to create a willing and friendly environment for achieving equality in every sector. There is no doubt that gender equality is the key way to sustainable development. So it is necessary to ensure that both women and men have to have equal access to information, treatment, care, support and productive resources. Then in true sense, gender development will be meaningful all along in preventing HIV/AIDS.

(PID-UNICEF Feature)

Ms. Muslema Khan

Teenage girls are particularly vulnerable to HIV/STDs infection in all regions, it is thought that teen age is a period of multiple, rapid, and profound changes and transitions. Such concerns are particularly important for teenage girls: Teenage girls today are much more oppressed. They are coming of age in a more dangerous, sexualized, and media-saturated culture. They face incredible pressures to be beautiful and sophisticated, by chemicals which mean to encourage them to be sexual. As they navigate a more dangerous world, girls are less protected. On the other hand, the low social status of women in many poor countries encourages gender discrimination, domestic and sexual violence and psychological abuse, so that they have no control to negotiate safe sex.

Teenage girls in poor families in developing countries often do not have the option to make real choices about their sexual and reproductive lives, such as when and whom to marry, whether and when to have children and how many to have, and whether to use contraceptives. Women tend to marry very young: nearly two thirds of teens in most South Asian countries marry before 18 years of age, and many even before 15 years, despite laws prohibiting such early marriage.

Biologically, young women are more susceptible to HIV infection than older women. Because they make up a large proportion of the sexually active population of developing countries, a large proportion of new infections occur in this age group. A survey conduct by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation of three brothels in southwest region in Bangladesh, this study did point out that almost 16% of sex workers enter the profession before the age of 18 years, and 30% enter between 18 to 24 years of age. Approximately 10% of prostitutes belong to the scheduled castes minority people.

The HIV/AIDS programme specialist Mohammad Khairul Alam said, "several social norms and immature behavior fueled of this disease to scatter rapidly. There are several social components link to develop this harmful situation. Poverty-behind to force it, Gender discrimination plays a vital role; Frustration & risk behavior help to sink humanity resulting infection. The link between poverty & gender discrimination are help to decline socio economic prosperity. This link creates several anti social poisonous issues also. Such as trafficking to prostitute, sell sex for earn or living, break down family norm to create frustration and driven drug point. We notice easily that Illiteracy is the main watchword of all circumstance. So it is not easy to remove it from the society, several programs & strategy are needed to gain sustainable position".

In some cultures, young women are sexually abused by older men in the belief that they are less likely to be infected with HIV or even that sex with a young woman who is a virgin is a cure for HIV/AIDS. Moreover, young people are often less likely to have access to the information and means to protect themselves from HIV infection. For all of these reasons, UNFPA is right to make young people a focus of HIV/AIDS prevention programmes. In some countries, adolescents aged 10 to 15 should be a priority, as these are the years when sexual initiation occurs and sexual attitudes and behaviours are established. In these countries, HIV/AIDS prevention messages should focus on younger youth to be effective. Programmes of sex education and safe sex promotion for pre-teens and young teenagers have been successfully implemented in countries as diverse as Uganda and Sweden.

However in Asian region, the epidemic is not contained within these at-risk populations. HIV is spreading rapidly to sex industry clients (including sex tourists) and to the sexual partners of both sex workers and IDUs. Evidence that the virus is reaching general populations can be found in the neonatal clinics of the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, and Nagaland, where more than one percent of pregnant young mother are HIV positive.

The responses and capacity required to address the identified vulnerabilities in Asia lie within the region itself. Although, capacities, commitment and resources within countries are varied, a diverse range of successful responses exist within Asia. These include examples of early responses that have successfully reduced the impact of the epidemic in countries such as Thailand and Cambodia as well as examples from countries like India and China which have demonstrated the effectiveness of leadership and commitment at the highest level. As a result of continued and concerted advocacy, all national governments in the region have developed national strategic plans -- most of which recognize the need for multi-sectoral approaches.

Source: UNFPA, Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation, UNAIDS

Sheila G.

About 80 people demonstrated at Disney's Fifth Avenue store for the abolition of sweatshops and child labor. Three young women spoke, two of whom had worked for the Shah Makhdum factory in Bangladesh producing garments for Disney. They represented a larger group of women workers who dared to publicly denounce conditions and demand their rights. Disney's response was to pull all production and fire the workers. These fired workers are now on a national tour.

Chicago--The Bangladeshi women workers spoke as well in Chicago:

Mahamuda: In Bangladesh, where I work at MNC producing garments for Wal-Mart, there is no sick leave, holidays, or benefits. We work seven days a week and never get a day off. Maybe we will get one day off a month.

They keep two sets of time cards, one that is real and one that they show to the buyers. The phony one shows less hours and shows days off.

We sometimes have to work all night. I make around 17 cents an hour. I live in a small room with three other women who are my co-workers. I have to buy food and pay rent from my small salary. I can't get a fan or a television, or a sleeping platform. I can't send money to my family. I can't ever have any fun.

Two months ago, one woman got sick but she wasn't allowed to leave work. She died. We were afraid to protest because if we raise our voices we might lose our jobs and not be able to feed ourselves or our families.

The Wal-Mart buyers only visit the factory from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. They don't see us working overnight or overtime. We are made by our bosses to lie to the buyers about this.

We are insulted if they don't think we are working fast enough. They call you "whore" and "prostitute," they say "Your parents are prostitutes!"

Lisa: I am 19 years old. I had to start working when I was ten. I come from a poor family. After working in factories for five years, I have worked in the Shah Makhdum Disney factory for the last three years.

They set a heavy pace. We have to turn out 20 garments per hour. If we don't, they slap us and curse us. The supervisors use the buyers' name to force us to hurry up. They say, "This is a rush order for Disney!"

The bathroom is filthy. We have to drink water from it, and so we get diarrhea. We have one lunch break and another ten-minute break for dinner in the evening. Even if we aren't finished eating, we have to go back to work. In my neighborhood 100 people have to share one outhouse and one stove with four burners.

If we even ask for leave or benefits we are fired. When a woman reaches age 35, she is fired with no benefits. I make less than 14 cents an hour. I have no fun in my life. I can't even watch a movie or ride a bicycle. If I could make only 37 cents an hour, I feel that I could live in greater dignity with my family.

We want Disney to return to the factory with jobs, but we also want respect. We want to be treated like human beings.

Sheikh Nazma: There are around 1.6 million workers in garment factories in Bangladesh. Most of them are young women. Despite adverse and harsh conditions there is not a single functioning union in Bangladesh. It is very difficult to organize garment workers, because you can't see them very often.

Disney was here for years, but when the workers finally raised their voices, Disney pulled out. Disney never listened. All we wanted was one day off per week and national holidays off, not to be cheated of wages, and voluntary rather than forced overtime.

We want Disney there, we need the jobs, but they should respect the workers as human. With your help we can win back our rights. If we win this campaign with Wal-Mart and Disney it will affect all other workers, as well, because these are the big ones.