Imphal, jan 17 : "The vulnerability of HIV infection amongst women is highly influenced by biological, social and cultural factors as this can be substantiated from the present trend of increasing feminization in the epidemic and this has led to more children being infected and affected", stated Dr. Ch. Jamini Devi, chairperson of the Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW) while giving the keynote address on the occasion of a two days consultation on "HIV/AIDS and its impact on Women and Children".
Organised by the National Commission of Women (NCW), New Delhi in collaboration with the MSCW at the State Guest, Sanjenthong in Imphal East on Thursday, the first day programme highlighted the vulnerability of women and children towards the disease. The programme also called for a sensitisation and generation of mass awareness in order to prevent HIV infection among women and children.
Addressing the programme, Dr. Jamini maintained that women and children were the most vulnerable to the disease due to the social and economic condition of the state. Besides the high number of unemployment, poverty, conflict, political unrest, the readily available drugs were contributing to the increase in HIV, pointed out the chairperson of the MSCW and added that the disease has spread beyond the injection drug users (IDUs). In this regard, she pointed out that the wives of the IDUs were most vulnerable further spreading to their children. "The proportion of HIV positives amongst the wives of IDUs is also comparatively high", stated Dr. Jamini and lamented that many young women have also become widows and HIV positive at the same time even as their husbands succumb to the epidemic.
Dr. Jamini Devi also informed that approximately 2,866 AIDS cases of AIDS have been reported in the state informing further that the state with only 0.2 percent of India's population was contributing nearly 8 percent of India's total HIV-positive cases. The chairperson of the MSCW also informed that as per April-2005 data of the Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS), 18.8 percent of total HIV-positive cases in the state were women and that it was growing on a daily basis.
While appreciating the hard works, their hospitalities and contributions to the families, Dr. Jamini pointed out that the number of female people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) accessing the ART from the ART centres were just 35 percent of the total 1009 beneficiaries. In this regard, she opined and suggested that all HIV-related services and practices such as VCTC, STI clinic and ART needs to be reviewed and suitably modified so as to address the needs of women.
Asserting that there was no end to the stories of the woes of women in the state, Dr. Jamini informed that the commission was taking up programmes for the benefit of the women in the state and informed that a website would be launched to highlight the programmes. Wabsuk Syiem, member of NCW, New Delhi also informed the though a decade ago women were considered peripheral to the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, about 38 percent of all Indians living with HIV currently were women. The member of the NCW who hails from Meghalaya asserted that infection in women and girls were fuelled by gender-based violence and sexual exploitation such as rape, abuse of young women and girls, especially in times of emergency and conflicts. She also informed that women were biologically more susceptible to the disease.
Wansuk also pointed out that the dominance of patriarchal authority and preference of male children leading to economic dependence and lower level of education inhibit women from leading lives independence of marriage. And besides facing an increased risk of ostracism and abuse, women lack information and knowledge in their marriage, asserted Ms. Wansuk. Information further that more than four-fifths of new infections in women result from sex with their husbands or primary partners, she suggested the need for sensitisation and generation of awareness in order to prevent HIV infection among women and girls.
The member of the NCW was, however, full of praise for the women of Manipur stating that she found the women of Manipur in the forefront of all economic and developmental activities, even surpassing men in vocations that have hitherto been guarded domain by menfolk. She also had high praises for the women of the state who had excelled in the field of athletics and acrobatics bringing laurels from global sports and athletic arena.
Addressing the programme as chief guest, Dr. Budhichandra Singh, speaker of Manipur State Legislative Assembly, informed that processes were underway on the part of the state government to donate Rs. 1 crore annually towards the fund for HIV/AIDS awareness programmes and related matters. Even the Manipur Legislative Forum for HIV/AIDS is also under process to collect Rs. 50,000/ each from each Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the local area development fund, added Dr. Budhichandra, who is also chairman of the forum.
The consultation programme was also attended by representatives of NCW, Wansuk Syiem and S.K. Greha, distinguished invitees, NGOs working in the field of HIV/AIDS Right Activist, NGOs, Academicians, government officials, media persons and resource persons.