By Jennifer O’Neill
In 2009, it was estimated that 33.3 million people were living with HIV or AIDS worldwide; of those, 22.5 million can be found in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya, 1.5 million adults and children are living with HIV or AIDS. 760,000 of those affected are women aged 15 and older. With this disease affecting women at a disproportionate rate, it is imperative that the root causes and possible solutions are sought out.
There are multiple dimensions in regards to female vulnerability to HIV. Powerlessness, cultural practice, lack of AIDS-related knowledge, sexual behavior, and perception of HIV risk all play pivotal roles in the oppression of women’s right to health. All of these things must be addressed if we wish to see positive change.
The cultural structure in Kenya is highly patriarchal and leaves little to no room for women to deviate from gender norms, which stifles their voices in speaking out on health care. The societal expectation of female innocence regarding sexual practices restrains women from seeking reliable information regarding sexual health. Women who request the use of condoms during sexual activity may be seen as adulterous and therefore leave themselves open to physical abuse as punishment for suspected infidelity.
Due to these oppressive patriarchal norms, women are often wary of seeking medical care, including HIV testing, due to the lack of confidentiality and the potential of being ostracized from their community if a positive status is discovered. The most common way that Kenyan women learn of an HIV-positive status is through mandatory testing during prenatal examinations.
Misinformation regarding the transmission of HIV is rampant in Kenya; a fact that is compounded by the lack of educational opportunities for females in this society. For example, there is a cultural belief that women who are married are safe from contracting the disease, regardless of the high instances of polygamy and extramarital affairs. Other cultural practices such as age-mixing, where older men seek out sexual relationships with younger women, also exacerbate the issue. Young women may seek these relationships as a means of gaining economic security; however, they then are placed at higher risk for contracting HIV, as the incentive for older men stems from a belief that sexual relations with virgins cures HIV/AIDS.
The current situation for Kenyan women seems bleak; however, there is hope. Education is our most potent weapon in combating gendered health inequality. Programs must be instituted so that all members of Kenyan society, women and men, have the necessary tools to combat this epidemic. Information regarding the ways in which HIV is transmitted, encouraging the use of condoms, and building testing programs that ensure the confidentiality of patients are all essential pieces of the solution.
The biggest impact can be made by using education to change the culture of patriarchal oppression. Similar programs have been effective in other countries. Programs like the Men as Partners Program in South Africa provide workshops that incorporate exploration of gender socialization, the societal impact of violence against women, and the idea that women’s health directly relates to the health of the society at large. This program provides an excellent template from which to work and encourages grassroots efforts to effect societal change, a point that is vital in terms of sustaining progress on an issue.
The women of Kenya deserve the right to protect themselves from the ravages of HIV/AIDS. By shedding light on the societal causes of gender disparity in regards to transmission rates, we can hope to see a positive change for these women and for future generations.
Jennifer O’Neill is a graduate student in Sociology and Women’s Studies at East Carolina University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in Sociology and American Studies. Her research interests lie in the areas of gender, sexual assault and relationship violence, popular culture, feminist theory, and social justice. Her thesis work focuses on sexual assault on college campuses.