ALQ, November 2007 Edition – Social Environments

Editorial...

…reduce the vulnerability, stigmatisation and discrimination that surround HIV/AIDS and promote a supportive and enabling environment, by addressing underlying prejudices and inequalities within societies, and a social environment conducive to positive behaviour change…an essential part of this enabling environment involves the empowerment of women, youth and other vulnerable groups to deal with HIV/AIDS by taking measures to improve their social and legal status… [International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, Commentary on Guideline 8]

It is within the above context that this edition of the ALQ is focusing on the social environment and its impact on women’s risks and vulnerabilities to both HIV and violence and abuse. The various articles in this edition examine different aspects of women’s social environment, and raise the question as to whether or not these environments are in fact conducive for women to claim their rights, and thus to claim their right to access and benefit from available HIV prevention, testing, treatment, care and support services. The gendered societal context perpetuating women’s lack of social recognition; masculine norms and identities furthering the ‘culture of violence’; social norms and values heightening women’s risk to gender violence and HIV; gender discrimination within the ‘world of sports’; as well as potential risks associated with male circumcision are some of the issues explored in this edition.

This issue also provides information on a recent study on intimate partner abuse and HIV; introduces challenges of HIV-related stigma in KwaMakhuta, KwaZulu Natal, as well as rights-based responses to HIV and AIDS in Zambia, and is ‘making a point’ on farm workers’ risks and vulnerabilities to HIV.

In this edition, Johanna Kehler explores the legal and social environments of women raising the question as to whether or not these environments are ‘enabling’. Examining the enabling legal environment, as well as realities of gender violence and challenges encountered by ‘invisible’ women, such as sex workers and lesbian women, she argues that without transforming the gendered, unequal, normative and discriminatory societal context in which rights are claimed, women will continue to have limited ‘ability’ to claim their rights, and to access and benefit from available HIV prevention, treatment, testing, care and support services.

Recognising the impact of the concept of masculinity on the spread of HIV, Eric Axelrod examines the link of masculinity and gender violence. He discusses masculine norms, as well as the role of entertainment media in shaping masculine identities; explores the prevalent ‘culture’ of discrimination, disrespect and mistreatment; and argues that social norms need to be challenged, when they prove to be detrimental to society, and that laws must become social norms so as to be effective.

Highlighting the need for effective HIV prevention strategies, Betsi Pendry looks at male circumcision and potential challenges for its successful implementation. Exploring community perceptions about male circumcision and potential gender implications, she argues that in order to ensure that this new HIV prevention strategy becomes effective for women and men, the gender implications of this new HIV prevention strategy need to be thoroughly examined, especially as there are many ‘unknown’ implications of male circumcision on women and women’s risk to HIV

Erica Kessie explores various factors leading to women’s risks of violence and HIV infection. Discussing the extent to which gendered roles and expectations and society’s norms and values impact on women’s lack of social recognition, as well as women’s ‘ability’ to make informed choices, and HIV-related stigma and discrimination, she argues that women will continue to be denied their rightful place, and thus, remain at risk of violence and HIV, until such time that ‘social norms and values’ are replaced by ‘constitutional norms’.

Barriers encountered by women in the ‘world of sport’ are introduced by Johanna Arendse. Exploring the rewards and benefits of sport, its potential as a ‘powerful communication tool’ for HIV messages, and the particular sporting environment for women and girl children, she argues that while sports has many benefits, without sport itself becoming a vehicle of social change addressing gender discrimination and violence within both society and the ‘industry’, women will remain largely excluded from the ‘industry’ and its benefits.

Within the context of promoting male circumcision as a means of reducing the risk of HIV infection, Sandy Okkers introduces some of the challenges and risks associated with male circumcision. Providing a broad overview of male circumcision as a prevention tool and discussing some of the challenges and risks associated with male circumcision, she argues that for male circumcision to become a ‘successful’ means of HIV prevention, it has to be promoted as an integral part of a whole range of HIV prevention methods, and not as a ‘stand alone’ prevention tool, as men cannot rely on circumcision alone.

Recent experiences of HIV-related stigma and related violence from KwaMakhuta, KwaZulu Natal, are introduced by Thabisile Khuzwayo. Emphasising that it is people’s mindsets towards HIV and AIDS, and not HIV itself, which is the real ‘problem’, she argues that the ‘attack’ on service providers in the area was ‘shocking and disturbing’, as well as a ‘wake up’ call, as it not only highlights the ‘danger’ of inaccurate information, but also raises the question as to the effectiveness of current programmes in the area.

The Zambian AIDSLaw Research and Advocacy Network (ZARAN), an organisation promoting the rights of people living with, and/or affected by, HIV and AIDS, is introduced by Malala Mwondela. Highlighting some of Zambia’s HIV and AIDS realities and challenges, she discuses ZARAN’s challenges in trying to promote a rights-based response to HIV, and argues that human rights are to be incorporated into every aspect of the response to HIV and AIDS – because the day we stop promoting human rights, will be the day we begin to lose the struggle.

Looking at the farming communities in the Overberg district, Keith August is ‘making a point’ about farm workers’ realities in the context of HIV and AIDS. He provides an overview of historical, economic and social challenges of the farming community; explores workplace challenges, such as farm workers’ vulnerability to stigmatisation and ostracism, and possible solutions for a response to farm workers’ HIV and AIDS realties, and argues that programmes for farm workers can no longer be seen as a luxury, but as a necessity, so as to reduce farm workers’ risks to HIV infection and their vulnerabilities to discrimination and abuses.

Examining these various facets of the environment as to the extent to which these realities impact on people’s abilities to claim and enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms, there seems to be the common conclusion that the ‘social environment’ is neither conducive nor enabling for women to realise their rights, make informed choices about matters concerning their lives, and access available HIV prevention, testing, treatment, care and support services. There also seems to be the common acknowledgement that ‘social norms and values’ and a ‘culture of discrimination and disrespect’, as compared to ‘constitutional norms’ and a ‘culture of human rights’, are the very foundation of these ‘social environments’, which not only cause and maintain, but also ‘reinforce’ gendered discrimination and violence, as well as risks and vulnerabilities to HIV infection. Thus, while the legal environment is ‘supportive and enabling’, it is the lack of an ‘enabling social environment’ that defines women’s realities, risks and vulnerabilities.

If we are to agree that even the most progressive ‘legal environment’ is only as ‘good’ as it impacts on people’s lives, then we are to agree that the ‘social environment’, in which women live their lives, does not ‘promote a supportive and enabling environment’, since women continue to lack ‘social recognition’, despite the enabling legal environment. If we are further to agree that it is the ‘social norms and values’ which are the main obstacles to an enabling social environment, then we are to agree that these ‘social norms and values’ are in dire need of transformation, as they ‘prove detrimental’ to women and women’s lives. And finally, if we are in agreement that creating an enabling legal and social environment is key to an effective human rights-based response to HIV and AIDS, then we are to concur that key to creating the ‘environment’ is a ‘social environment’ affording everyone equal access, enjoyment, and benefit of the law, and services, irrespective of a person’s sex, gender, sexual orientation and/or HIV status.

Thus, any intervention aimed at ‘addressing’ women’s risks and vulnerabilities has, arguably, to be premised on challenging and transforming the very same ‘social norms and values’ that create, maintain, and ‘reinforce’ women’s greater risks and vulnerabilities. Only as and when steps are taken to ‘support and enable’ human rights to become the foundation for ‘social norms and values’, will interventions carry the potential to ‘empower’ women to take ‘their rightful places’. Indeed, as long as women’s social environment fails to comply with the ‘rule of law’, but instead remains ‘ruled’ by ‘social norms and values’, perpetuating the gendered and discriminatory societal context, women will remain the ones most vulnerable to, and at risk of, HIV infection; more likely to be subjected to violence and abuse; and thus, least in the position to access, and benefit from, HIV prevention, testing, treatment, care and support services – and ‘a supportive and enabling environment’ will continue to be ‘luxury’…reserved for a few.

Johanna Kehler