Sexuality, Family Relationships and HIV/AIDS: A Cross-Country Dialogue
Thursday, December 8, 2005
ARSRC hosted a roundtable at the
ICASA conference on the theme, "Sexuality, Family
Relationships and HIV/AIDS: A Cross-Country Dialogue"
on Thursday December 8, 2005.
Sexuality is core to family formation
and family life. Conversely family life has an important
bearing on how, when and with whom family members
live their sexuality. Moreover the family bears the
cost and enjoys the benefits of the outcomes of the
sexual attitudes and behaviours of its individual
members. The call for the realisation of sexual rights
and the cost of sexual behaviours in the era of HIV
and AIDS undoubtedly dictate a better understanding
of the interaction between sexuality, and family relationships.
This panel aims to initiate a discussion on these
issues, provide possible scenarios and where possible,
provide some answers to the questions raised.
The panel which took place at Meeting
Room A of the Yar'adua Centre in Abuja featured speakers
from Egypt, Kenya, and Nigeria and was chaired by
Professor Friday Okonofua, the Executive Director
of Edo State, Nigeria-based Women’s Health and
Action Research Centre (WHARC).
The speakers were: Ahmed Ragab,
a Reproductive Health consultant and Assistant Professor
in Applied Reproductive Health Research, at the International
Islamic Centre for Population Studies and Research,
Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt; Ejiro Otive-Igbuzor,
a human rights activist and Country Director of the
Nigeria Country Office of the Centre for Development
and Population Activities and Mary Okumu, Africa Programmes
Advisor of Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
in Nairobi, Kenya.
Ragab's presentation, titled "HIV/AIDS
in North Africa and the Middle East – Cultural
Context, Gender, Role of Family and Policy Reponses"
examined the current status of HIV/AIDS in the region,
the challenges posed by the condition, as well as
the cultural factors and realities of gender inequality
that continue to fuel infections. He concluded the
presentation with a consideration of the policy responses
to HIV/AIDS in the region.
He warned that despite the current
low prevalence, the countries of North Africa are
at risk of an outbreak of HIV/AIDS infections due
to a number of factors including unresolved political
conflicts, slow-growing economies, stressed or crumbling
health infrastructure, population mobility and shared
borders with high-prevalence regions like Central
Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Added to these are factors
such as illiteracy, unemployment, and the fact that
blood safety is not assured because screening is still
far from comprehensive in several countries in the
region.
Ragab observed that "strong
taboos attached to HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and
North Africa make it harder to measure the scope of
the problem and to plan accordingly. Extreme stigma
not only marginalizes those who are HIV-positive but
also inhibits people from going for tests."
Otive-Igbuzor in her presentation
titled: "Sexual Rights, Intimate Gender-Based
Violence and HIV/AIDS" observed that "One
in every three women will face violence in their lifetime"
from a partner or father or other male member of the
household.
She identified commonly occurring
forms of violence such as rape (including marital
rape) noting that, if you tell the Police that you
have been raped by your husband, you are not likely
to receive the required attention. She said "our
Penal Code permits wife-battery because a husband
is allowed to correct the wife as long as no grievous
harm occurs in the process." She asked "Who
decides what may be considered grievous harm?"
As a way forward, Otive-Igbuzor
said "What we can do is build a new conception
of masculinity; for example we can promote the concept
that “real men do not expose women to disease."
Mary Okumu spoke on the topic, "Internet,
Sexuality, Family Relationships And HIV/AIDS In Africa:
By-passing Family Networks!" Okumu posed some
challenging questions: "What are your children
doing on the Internet? Who are they chatting with?
Who is helping them to process the information that
they are receiving?"
She noted with dismay that modern
families have very little time to interact as a family
unit; increasingly guardians spend less quality time
with wards.
She said that in Africa, children
and adolescents are accessing sex and sexuality information
from the internet and other mass media and most of
the time, they are accessing sexuality information
secretively and without guidance from parents or guardians
or other appropriate adult sources. This is in contrast
to the traditional society in Africa, where communication
on sexuality involved the extended family –
aunties, grandmothers and other more experienced family
members.
To exacerbate the situation is the
fact that access to modern communication tools is
linked to education and literacy. The irony is that
children tend to be more knowledgeable than their
parents!
Okumu stressed that the family as
a unit is still important in reaching children on
sex and sexuality issues. She therefore urged that
research be conducted to fill the gaps in knowledge
on the nature of the interaction between children/youth
and the internet (including gender differential impact
of information accessed from the Internet).
During the discussion time, participants
were invited to ask questions or make comments about
the presentations.
Rose Amolo of the Centre for Development
and Population Activities (CEDPA) in Washington D.C.,
wanted to know what kind of leadership the Government
of Egypt was giving in response to the HIV/AIDS problem.
She said she was aware that in Egypt, government attempts
to control the non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Ms. Iboro Nelson from Port Harcourt,
Nigeria, stressed the critical need for male involvement
in programmes to sensitise and conscientise men, if
intimate sexual violence is to be stemmed.
Mr. Kabiru Elayo of the National
Human Rights Commission in Abuja, Nigeria reiterated
the importance of male involvement while noting that
the definition of sexual violence transcends physical
violence and should include even “threats of
violence” and other forms of verbal and psychological
abuse.
Another participant, a medical doctor
was emphatic that "we must direct our attention
to the rural and traditional settings." He noted
that while counselling a HIV positive man recently,
he was shocked when the man said he planned to marry
another wife as it was a taboo for him to remain with
only one wife.
Another participants proposed that
the media should be fully involved in the endeavour
to build new visions of masculinities and femininities.
In responding to some of the questions
raised above, respective speakers responded to questions
directed at their individual presentations.
Ragab said that NGOs in Egypt are
operating and do not have problems with government
as long as they do not get involved in politics.
Otive-Igbuzor while in agreement
that male involvement is important stressed the need
to create a legal environment that recognised the
rights of women. She said, “ we need jurisprudential
overhaul”.
Okumu in responding to issues raised
observed that "we need to go back to our homes
and re-establish dialogue around sexuality."
She added that sexuality is not just about sex. "It's
about who your child is talking about; if your child
talks about Jane all the time, it means that this
person is having an influence over your child and
you need to know who this person is."
In closing, the chairperson, Prof
Okonofua called on the ARSRC to conduct more research
on sexuality issues, noting that "most of the
things we have discussed today are not evidence-based.
He advised, "discuss with your children before
they go to the Internet to get information. Let us
not hide things."
ARSRC Director, Dr. Richmond Tiemoko
pointed out two important needs arising from the panel:
(a) the need for communication within the family (for
example to help children and young persons process
available information); and (b) the need for more
open discussions of sexuality issues by adults to
reduce their own level of discomfort with regard to
discussing these issues; and to promote individual
sexual health and rights. He noted that the seminar
had raised more questions than answers. He said, "If
you have research ideas or answers to the questions
that have been raised, if you have any new contributions
to the debate, please send your proposals and contributions
to the ARSRC."
[Back] |
