Topic of the month
Mar 27, 2018Topic of the month: Gender-Based Violence and HIV/AIDS in South AfricaViolence against women and girls is a structural problem in South Africa. It is a central cause of the high rates of HIV infection. Medical and psychological treatments pose great challenges to health workers because physical injuries and traumatisation exacerbate existing illnesses that are particularly caused by poverty and infrastructure deficiencies. All these are consequences of the racist apartheid system and the slow-moving process of change since the introduction of democracy in 1994. A number of state agencies and, above all, innovative women’s and health organisations are working hard to overcome these complex problems. (By Rita Schäfer) Photo: A demonstration of female AIDS activists © Rita Schäfer. |