Gender on the Agenda?

Abstract

As chapters 3 and 4 explore, gender as structural violence underscores the spread of HIV and places women disproportionately at risk of infection. Where the virus spreads along the gender ‘fault lines of society’ (Baylies, 2004, p. 7), it exposes the gendered structures and provides the space to challenge them. Questions of empowerment emerge onto the agenda because these structures can no longer be accepted as the status quo. They are violent; they spread HIV, which reduces life expectancy and undermines human capabilities. Gender has long been recognised as a crucial aspect of the global response to HIV and there have been widespread calls for women to be empowered (UNAIDS, 2010, p. 12; USAID Malawi, 2008, p. 70; Nath, 2004). The UN Special Session on HIV/AIDS in 2001 commits African governments to ‘empower women to have more control over and decide freely and responsibility on matters related to their sexuality to increase their ability to protect themselves from HIV infection’ (2001, p. 9). The notion of ‘empowerment’ is widely espoused in western development agendas more generally because it appeals to donor-driven preoccupations with sustainability, and yet it does not necessarily bring about meaningful social change (Parpart et al., 2002, p. 3).