World AIDS Campaign 2004

"Have you heard me today?"

That is the strapline for this year's World AIDS Campaign, aim to raise awareness about, and help address the many issues affecting women and girls around HIV and AIDS.
Yes, this year's campaign puts focus on women and girls, as these population groups are more susceptible to HIV than men and boys. Their chance to be infected with HIV/AIDS are 2.5 times higher.
WHY??

Women and girls around the world face similar situation, they are vulnerable to many infectious disease and other life-threatening situations (i.e. domestic violance, sexual harrassment, etc). Female has higher chance to be HIV-infected because of their inadequate knowledge about AIDS, insufficient access to HIV prevention services, inability to negotiate safer sex, and a lack of female-controlled HIV prevention methods. Domestic and workplace violance, that might also be related to sexual one, can accelerate the spread of HIV.

Gender inequality issue is still out there.... this fuels the AIDS epidemic. By putting more attention on how vulnerable female is to HIV....how valuable female's role is in family and society to fight HIV/AIDS, we can help accelerate the global response to HIV and AIDS.

(Reference: UNAIDS)

So...have you heard from her today? Have you heard from yourself today, girls?

Don't let women and girls face and feel the burden of gender inequalities. Give broad access for girls to know about their reproductive health. Let the women negotiate safer sex. Voice yourself, girls, for any physical and psychological abuse either at home or workplace.