Sunday, September 9, 2007
Some Words on Anirudha Alam
Anirudha Alam is a prominent AIDS researcher and working in a national NGO named BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services) as a Deputy Director (Information & Development Communication). He writes and edits more than forty books and a good number of articles on various issues like women empowerment, human rights, education awareness, social development, income generating activities, environment awareness, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS awareness, juvenile literature, short stories and so on. His noteworthy books are Kulsums and Karims (a collection of success stories of disadvantaged people of Bangladesh), Kulsums (a collection of success stories of disadvantaged & destitute women of Bangladesh), The Reflections (a collection of posters on literacy & education of Bangladesh), Towards a New Hope, Social Assistance Message Collection, Social Assistance Advocacy Manual, Eaisab Rat Din (a collection of juvenile poems), Du Sha Bachharer Sera Bangla Kishor Galapa (a collection of juvenile Bengali stories of two hundred years) etc. Website: http://anirudha-alam.blogspot.com
Gender Awareness, Stepping Stone to HIV Prevention
Gender Awareness, Stepping Stone
to HIV Prevention
Anirudha Alam
The spread of HIV and STI is mounting in developing countries through gender inequality and taboos around sexuality. It results in discrimination and stigma associated with drastic poverty and marginalization. Leading to empowerment, happiness and well being, gender awareness can help to promote both rights to be free of violence and coercion around sexuality. Sexual rights, an inclusive framework, guide to have knowledge of the links between different sexuality issues thoroughly recognizing that campaign against sexual violence must continue.
The number of women living with HIV is mushrooming than the number of men through out the world. In 2004, the number of women (15+) living with HIV was 12.7 million in Sub-Saharan Africa. But the number was increased to 13.3 million in 2006. HIV epidemic is disproportionately affecting women of South Africa. Young women (15-24 years) are four times more likely to be infected by HIV than are young men in this region. Prevalence among young women was 17% compared with 4.4% among young men in 2005.
HIV/AIDS entrenches gender inequality, denial and as well as threats to basic human rights. The relationship between HIV, gender and sexuality may be intertwined as a vicious circle. Unfortunately this aftermath limits women’s access to reproductive health information, STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) prevention technologies and treatment. There is no doubt that gender inequality makes women experience poverty and vulnerable to STIs gravely.
According to the findings of BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services), 95% of the rural adolescent girls in Bangladesh are vulnerable to STIs and ill health due to gender discrimination, sexual violence and lack of knowledge regarding reproductive health. They do not know how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation found that adolescent girls are two times more vulnerable to HIV and STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) than the adolescent boys in urban areas of Bangladesh because of sexual harassment. In the name of so called gender equality, their reckless free mixing subculture is making them vulnerable significantly as well.
To curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, it is necessary to challenge the stigmatization and discrimination faced by women living with HIV/AIDS. Counting on collective action at all levels from community to national level, gender equality can strengthen the HIV and STI prevention through a coordinated action for establishing the right of safe sex. In 2005, half of the new HIV infections occurred due to unprotected sex in China. Moreover with HIV spreading successively from most-at-risk population to general population, the number of HIV infections among women is increasing fast.
In the developing countries, most of the women have very little or no knowledge about HIV transmission as well as risk before they are diagnosed HIV positive. Married women do not want to think that they may be at risk of infection. In Bangladesh, the women are induced by their family members to conceive. On the other hand, they feel under presser from healthcare workers to avoid conception. But in most cases, none of them provides necessary information clearly to help the vulnerable women conceive safely or to lessen risk of mother to child transmissions.
Involving women living with HIV, national social welfare organizations, community based organizations (CBOs), academies and policymakers, there may be a promising plan to develop advocacy strategies and extend counseling to women diagnosed in antenatal clinics. It will highlight the necessity to ameliorate the plight as for gendered response to the needs and desires of vulnerable women. Consequently it will be possible to build their life skills to enable them to work with field workers, researchers, monitors, evaluators, policymakers at all levels of program design and implementation, research, monitoring, evaluation and policymaking. Then it would be possible to keep HIV in bay effectively stamping out discrimination, stigmatization and sexual violence through gender awareness as a whole.
Anirudha Alam
Deputy Director
(Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.
Website:http://www.bees-bd.org, http://www.newsletter.com.bd/anirudha
Phone: 01718342876, 9889732, 9889733 (office), 8050514 (res.)
E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com, info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net
Ref: UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank
to HIV Prevention
Anirudha Alam
The spread of HIV and STI is mounting in developing countries through gender inequality and taboos around sexuality. It results in discrimination and stigma associated with drastic poverty and marginalization. Leading to empowerment, happiness and well being, gender awareness can help to promote both rights to be free of violence and coercion around sexuality. Sexual rights, an inclusive framework, guide to have knowledge of the links between different sexuality issues thoroughly recognizing that campaign against sexual violence must continue.
The number of women living with HIV is mushrooming than the number of men through out the world. In 2004, the number of women (15+) living with HIV was 12.7 million in Sub-Saharan Africa. But the number was increased to 13.3 million in 2006. HIV epidemic is disproportionately affecting women of South Africa. Young women (15-24 years) are four times more likely to be infected by HIV than are young men in this region. Prevalence among young women was 17% compared with 4.4% among young men in 2005.
HIV/AIDS entrenches gender inequality, denial and as well as threats to basic human rights. The relationship between HIV, gender and sexuality may be intertwined as a vicious circle. Unfortunately this aftermath limits women’s access to reproductive health information, STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) prevention technologies and treatment. There is no doubt that gender inequality makes women experience poverty and vulnerable to STIs gravely.
According to the findings of BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services), 95% of the rural adolescent girls in Bangladesh are vulnerable to STIs and ill health due to gender discrimination, sexual violence and lack of knowledge regarding reproductive health. They do not know how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation found that adolescent girls are two times more vulnerable to HIV and STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) than the adolescent boys in urban areas of Bangladesh because of sexual harassment. In the name of so called gender equality, their reckless free mixing subculture is making them vulnerable significantly as well.
To curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, it is necessary to challenge the stigmatization and discrimination faced by women living with HIV/AIDS. Counting on collective action at all levels from community to national level, gender equality can strengthen the HIV and STI prevention through a coordinated action for establishing the right of safe sex. In 2005, half of the new HIV infections occurred due to unprotected sex in China. Moreover with HIV spreading successively from most-at-risk population to general population, the number of HIV infections among women is increasing fast.
In the developing countries, most of the women have very little or no knowledge about HIV transmission as well as risk before they are diagnosed HIV positive. Married women do not want to think that they may be at risk of infection. In Bangladesh, the women are induced by their family members to conceive. On the other hand, they feel under presser from healthcare workers to avoid conception. But in most cases, none of them provides necessary information clearly to help the vulnerable women conceive safely or to lessen risk of mother to child transmissions.
Involving women living with HIV, national social welfare organizations, community based organizations (CBOs), academies and policymakers, there may be a promising plan to develop advocacy strategies and extend counseling to women diagnosed in antenatal clinics. It will highlight the necessity to ameliorate the plight as for gendered response to the needs and desires of vulnerable women. Consequently it will be possible to build their life skills to enable them to work with field workers, researchers, monitors, evaluators, policymakers at all levels of program design and implementation, research, monitoring, evaluation and policymaking. Then it would be possible to keep HIV in bay effectively stamping out discrimination, stigmatization and sexual violence through gender awareness as a whole.
Anirudha Alam
Deputy Director
(Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.
Website:http://www.bees-bd.org, http://www.newsletter.com.bd/anirudha
Phone: 01718342876, 9889732, 9889733 (office), 8050514 (res.)
E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com, info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net
Ref: UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank
En-gendering AIDS Prevention Gateway to Sustainable Development
http://www.newsletter.com.bd/anirudha/
En-gendering AIDS Prevention
Gateway to Sustainable Development
Anirudha Alam
Nowadays gender discrimination is the key challenge for sustainable development. It widens the likelihood of HIV/AIDS epidemic. So we have to alleviate all the discriminations as regards achieving ownership, leadership and dignity, enjoying freedom, controlling resources, accessing to information, establishing rights, making decision, grooming voices, taking responsibility as well as participating in development activities.
Women are being increasingly affected by HIV. So the reduction of gender-based discrimination has to be integral to the strategic response to HIV/AIDS. Otherwise there is a great scope that HIV/AIDS epidemic may be feminized. The aftermath of feminized endemic is very much enough for ruining overall development achievement. As per the UNAIDS report 2004, nowhere is the epidemic’s ‘feminization’ more perceptible than in sub-Saharan Africa, where fifty seven per cent of adults infected are women as well as seventy five per cent of young people infected are women and girls.
An essential fact is that lack of good governance is the ideal vehicle of deprivation and poverty. Concurrently spread of HIV/AIDS is closely associated with poverty and discrimination. All of these social issues intertwined with different byproducts like stigmatization, violence and sexual abuse affect the endeavors dedicated to establishing just society. People centered planning with a view to ensuring exclusive participation, accountability, commitment and transparency may promote good governance undoubtedly. Capitalizing on this pro-poor planning, HIV/AIDS prevention should be led by gender sensitized policy and strategy. Eventually, as a far-seeing impact it is possible to achieve sustainable development.
A socio-economic study in 2006 conducted by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation shows that lack of reproductive health literacy attributed by social stigma and poverty among adolescents at rural level in Bangladesh makes 98% young women practice risky behaviors. They are growing as unskilled manpower having minimal livelihood development. They are turning into vulnerable especially to STDs (sexually transmitted diseases)/HIV/AIDS on a great scale. Their vulnerabilities due to their too little life-skill are affecting the mainstream process of sustainable development extensively.
Being affected by the negative social and economic consequences of HIV/AIDS, women are compelled to experience various kinds of deceptions and deprivations cruelly. Therefore, a gender-inclusive approach to HIV/AIDS has to play a role to ensure women’s rights to productive resources comprising land, credit, agricultural technologies, and other facilities. In this regard, initiating outreach on HIV/AIDS to rural communities may help mitigate the negative impact of HIV/AIDS on sustainable development as a whole.
Without having gateway to health knowledge and protection comprehensively, women are very much susceptible to HIV infection. They, especially the young women, bear the vulnerability of the reproductive tract tissues to the virus. The stigma of STIs in women makes them hesitate to get proper treatment. They are supposed to bear the maximum burden of caring for sick family members. But often they have less care and support when they themselves are infected severely.
As the stepping stone to sustainable development, in the 1980s a new approach was evolved. This is the mainstreaming strategy which aims to make the goal of gender equality central to all development activities. If AIDS prevention is not en-gendered sustainable development might be endangered. So to en-gender all the development initiatives, especially HIV/AIDS prevention, it is necessary to involve a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs in all political, economic and social spheres. It results in that men and women will be benefited equally and inequality will be removed as a whole.
Anirudha Alam
Deputy Director
(Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.
Phone: 8801718342876, 88029889732, 88029889733 (office)
88028050514 (res.)
E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com
info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net
Website: http://anirudha-alam.blogspot.com/
Ref: UNAIDS, World Bank, UNFPA, UNESCO
En-gendering AIDS Prevention
Gateway to Sustainable Development
Anirudha Alam
Nowadays gender discrimination is the key challenge for sustainable development. It widens the likelihood of HIV/AIDS epidemic. So we have to alleviate all the discriminations as regards achieving ownership, leadership and dignity, enjoying freedom, controlling resources, accessing to information, establishing rights, making decision, grooming voices, taking responsibility as well as participating in development activities.
Women are being increasingly affected by HIV. So the reduction of gender-based discrimination has to be integral to the strategic response to HIV/AIDS. Otherwise there is a great scope that HIV/AIDS epidemic may be feminized. The aftermath of feminized endemic is very much enough for ruining overall development achievement. As per the UNAIDS report 2004, nowhere is the epidemic’s ‘feminization’ more perceptible than in sub-Saharan Africa, where fifty seven per cent of adults infected are women as well as seventy five per cent of young people infected are women and girls.
An essential fact is that lack of good governance is the ideal vehicle of deprivation and poverty. Concurrently spread of HIV/AIDS is closely associated with poverty and discrimination. All of these social issues intertwined with different byproducts like stigmatization, violence and sexual abuse affect the endeavors dedicated to establishing just society. People centered planning with a view to ensuring exclusive participation, accountability, commitment and transparency may promote good governance undoubtedly. Capitalizing on this pro-poor planning, HIV/AIDS prevention should be led by gender sensitized policy and strategy. Eventually, as a far-seeing impact it is possible to achieve sustainable development.
A socio-economic study in 2006 conducted by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation shows that lack of reproductive health literacy attributed by social stigma and poverty among adolescents at rural level in Bangladesh makes 98% young women practice risky behaviors. They are growing as unskilled manpower having minimal livelihood development. They are turning into vulnerable especially to STDs (sexually transmitted diseases)/HIV/AIDS on a great scale. Their vulnerabilities due to their too little life-skill are affecting the mainstream process of sustainable development extensively.
Being affected by the negative social and economic consequences of HIV/AIDS, women are compelled to experience various kinds of deceptions and deprivations cruelly. Therefore, a gender-inclusive approach to HIV/AIDS has to play a role to ensure women’s rights to productive resources comprising land, credit, agricultural technologies, and other facilities. In this regard, initiating outreach on HIV/AIDS to rural communities may help mitigate the negative impact of HIV/AIDS on sustainable development as a whole.
Without having gateway to health knowledge and protection comprehensively, women are very much susceptible to HIV infection. They, especially the young women, bear the vulnerability of the reproductive tract tissues to the virus. The stigma of STIs in women makes them hesitate to get proper treatment. They are supposed to bear the maximum burden of caring for sick family members. But often they have less care and support when they themselves are infected severely.
As the stepping stone to sustainable development, in the 1980s a new approach was evolved. This is the mainstreaming strategy which aims to make the goal of gender equality central to all development activities. If AIDS prevention is not en-gendered sustainable development might be endangered. So to en-gender all the development initiatives, especially HIV/AIDS prevention, it is necessary to involve a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs in all political, economic and social spheres. It results in that men and women will be benefited equally and inequality will be removed as a whole.
Anirudha Alam
Deputy Director
(Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.
Phone: 8801718342876, 88029889732, 88029889733 (office)
88028050514 (res.)
E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com
info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net
Website: http://anirudha-alam.blogspot.com/
Ref: UNAIDS, World Bank, UNFPA, UNESCO
AIDS Prevention Spotlighted by Gender Mainstreaming http://www.newsletter.com.bd/anirudha/
AIDS Prevention Spotlighted
by Gender Mainstreaming
Anirudha Alam
Spread of HIV/AIDS results in risk of losing forms of social and economic protection. There is no doubt that onslaught of HIV/AIDS is closely associated with gender inequality and poor respect for the rights of women. So to mitigate the multiple impacts of epidemic, gender mainstreaming should be significantly integrated into HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Eventually, HIV prevention and impact mitigation policy will be able to make the realization of gender equality one of the most important strategies.
Gender mainstreaming for HIV/AIDS is to ensure gender equality in all policies, programs and activities that it would be possible to keep the epidemic in bay. It is the most efficient and equitable means for using existing resources with a view to combating HIV/AIDS internalizing need based approach. At a rough estimate since the beginning of the epidemic, over 10 million women have died from HIV/AIDS-resulted illness. 48 per cent of adults newly affected by HIV/AIDS in 2001 were certainly women. The fact that lack of gender mainstreaming along with domination of social stigma and discrimination creates a tremendous barrier to women making them unable to adopt HIV risk-reducing behavior.
Social stigma and gender discrimination engulf series of possibilities to reduce vulnerability to HIV/AIDS successively. The enhanced poverty and developmental decline nourished by gender inequality may make women and girls engaged in risky sexual behavior in lieu of getting money, food and other facilities. Having lack of enough access to quality treatment and care, then they fall into enormous vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) one after another.
As per the finding of Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation, 95 per cent adolescent girls of Bangladesh are drastically vulnerable to HIV/AIDS because of their paltry access to necessary information for protecting their reproductive health. Due to their poverty at the levels of awareness, skill, knowledge, attitude and practice all along, they are being more vulnerable consecutively. When they are enough adult they are not able to ensure their role as potential manpower in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating pro-gender programs and projects.
Considering all the situations related to sexual behavior, social attitudes and praxis, financial empowerment and so on, there are in-depth differences between men’s and women’s access to information, prevention, treatment and care-giving supports. It is much more common in all cultures that commitments for guiding sexual behavior and sexual health are being threatened by gender discrimination. If women and girls have not qualitative reproductive health literacy HIV/AIDS will be turned into as the greatest social problem in developing countries. According to the findings of UNAIDS, as of December 2000, ninety five per cent of all AIDS cases have occurred in developing countries.
Through promoting, facilitating and supporting the implementation of gender mainstreaming, AIDS prevention should be brought about under the spotlight of women empowerment. Gender mainstreaming and women empowerment are obviously complementary strategies. So the strategy of gender mainstreaming within HIV/AIDS prevention should be outlined that women empowerment is ensured.
Anirudha Alam
Deputy Director
(Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.
Phone: 8801718342876, 88029889732, 88029889733 (office)
88028050514 (res.)
E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com
info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net
Website: http://anirudha-alam.blogspot.com
Ref: UNAIDS, World Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat, UNESCO
by Gender Mainstreaming
Anirudha Alam
Spread of HIV/AIDS results in risk of losing forms of social and economic protection. There is no doubt that onslaught of HIV/AIDS is closely associated with gender inequality and poor respect for the rights of women. So to mitigate the multiple impacts of epidemic, gender mainstreaming should be significantly integrated into HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Eventually, HIV prevention and impact mitigation policy will be able to make the realization of gender equality one of the most important strategies.
Gender mainstreaming for HIV/AIDS is to ensure gender equality in all policies, programs and activities that it would be possible to keep the epidemic in bay. It is the most efficient and equitable means for using existing resources with a view to combating HIV/AIDS internalizing need based approach. At a rough estimate since the beginning of the epidemic, over 10 million women have died from HIV/AIDS-resulted illness. 48 per cent of adults newly affected by HIV/AIDS in 2001 were certainly women. The fact that lack of gender mainstreaming along with domination of social stigma and discrimination creates a tremendous barrier to women making them unable to adopt HIV risk-reducing behavior.
Social stigma and gender discrimination engulf series of possibilities to reduce vulnerability to HIV/AIDS successively. The enhanced poverty and developmental decline nourished by gender inequality may make women and girls engaged in risky sexual behavior in lieu of getting money, food and other facilities. Having lack of enough access to quality treatment and care, then they fall into enormous vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) one after another.
As per the finding of Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation, 95 per cent adolescent girls of Bangladesh are drastically vulnerable to HIV/AIDS because of their paltry access to necessary information for protecting their reproductive health. Due to their poverty at the levels of awareness, skill, knowledge, attitude and practice all along, they are being more vulnerable consecutively. When they are enough adult they are not able to ensure their role as potential manpower in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating pro-gender programs and projects.
Considering all the situations related to sexual behavior, social attitudes and praxis, financial empowerment and so on, there are in-depth differences between men’s and women’s access to information, prevention, treatment and care-giving supports. It is much more common in all cultures that commitments for guiding sexual behavior and sexual health are being threatened by gender discrimination. If women and girls have not qualitative reproductive health literacy HIV/AIDS will be turned into as the greatest social problem in developing countries. According to the findings of UNAIDS, as of December 2000, ninety five per cent of all AIDS cases have occurred in developing countries.
Through promoting, facilitating and supporting the implementation of gender mainstreaming, AIDS prevention should be brought about under the spotlight of women empowerment. Gender mainstreaming and women empowerment are obviously complementary strategies. So the strategy of gender mainstreaming within HIV/AIDS prevention should be outlined that women empowerment is ensured.
Anirudha Alam
Deputy Director
(Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.
Phone: 8801718342876, 88029889732, 88029889733 (office)
88028050514 (res.)
E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com
info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net
Website: http://anirudha-alam.blogspot.com
Ref: UNAIDS, World Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat, UNESCO
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