VIOLENCE INCREASES WOMEN’S VULNERABILITY TO HIV/AIDS – 10 June 2004

 United Nations, Phnom Penh – The high prevalence of domestic and sexual abuse of Cambodian women is increasing their vulnerability to HIV infection. When faced with violence, women are unable to refuse unwanted sex or negotiate safe sex. Rape and coercive sex, in particular, are likely to occur without the use of condoms.

Growing evidence indicates that intimate partner violence is now a significant contributor to the spread of the disease. Earlier this year, a South African study found that women who were beaten or dominated by their partners were 50 per cent more likely to become infected with HIV than those who were not.

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) fears a similar trend in Cambodia, where an estimated one in four married women, aged between 15 and 49, experienced some form of physical violence from their spouse (Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey 2000).

According to UNAIDS estimates, 74,000 women were living with HIV in Cambodia at the end of 2001, many of whom were infected by their spouses.

“It’s not only the act of violence itself that leaves women vulnerable. The very fear of abuse is enough to stop women from protecting themselves or demanding that their partner use a condom. When you are subject to constant intimidation and control, how can you say no, or negotiate safe sex?” said Lucita Lazo, UNIFEM Regional Programme Director for East and Southeast Asia.

Reversing the epidemic must include zero tolerance for violence against women, and a holistic approach to responding to challenges. Much more research and reliable data is needed. Health care systems and services must be expanded to offer medical care, counseling and even legal advice to victims, while also serving as important sources of HIV education and treatment. Women’s legal rights must be emphasized by judicial systems and law-enforcement agencies – there must be no impunity for sexual abusers, and domestic violence must be recognized as a crime in Cambodia.

Community groups, like Gender and Development for Cambodia (GAD/C), are at the forefront of confronting the issues. GAD/C, along with other groups, has recognized that it is absolutely crucial to involve men in any effort to combat violence and HIV/AIDS. Behavioral and attitudinal change can take place only when men are recognized not just as instigators of violence but as partners in preventing it.

Ahead of the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok from 11th to 16th July, UNIFEM organized a media briefing in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to raise awareness of violence against women and their vulnerability to HIV infection on 10 July, 2004.

Speakers at the media briefing included Ms. Lucita Lazo, UNIFEM Regional Programme Director for East and Southeast Asia, Ms. Ros Sopheap, Executive Director of Gender and Development for Cambodia (GAD/C), a local NGO working to achieve economic and social equality for women, and a HIV positive Cambodian woman who asked to remain anonymous.

UNIFEM is the women's fund at the United Nations, providing financial support and technical assistance to innovative programs promoting women's human rights, their economic and political empowerment, and gender equality in over 100 countries. For more information, visit www.unifem.undp.org. UNIFEM, 304 East 45th St, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10017, tel: 212 906-6400, fax: 212-906-6705

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