I picked this topic because I am not only passionate about the rights of women, but especially those that pertain to sexuality and reproductivity. I also picked this article because the issue is being investigated by Northeastern Law school as cases in which the human rights of women's sexuality and reproductivity were being violated. I plan on going to law school in order to work in the civil rights division as a prosecutor.
This issue is particularly important because women in Namibia with HIV have been enduring medical discrimination and inhibited rights to their reproductive and sexual health. In one particular instance, a woman giving birth, afflicted with HIV, was denied medical assistance from nurses and doctors because they feared catching the disease. "No one wanted to touch me," said one woman describing her birthing experience at the hospital (Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic, 2)".
Namibian women afflicted with HIV who also interviewed for the case reported forced or coerced sterilization by medical officials because of their HIV. There was an inherent disregard to inform these women of the processes of sterilization as well as the risks and effects that it posed. In some of the cases, these women were told false and fictitious information as well as extremely vague concepts to where their understanding of sterilization, abortion, contraceptives and pregnancy was hindered.
Based on theories we have discussed in class, it sounds like the government is involved in Neopatrimonialism with the healthcare system. The president, Hifikepunye Pohamba, and the rest of the government have been fully aware of the sexual and reproductive rights being violated amongst HIV afflicted women since 2008 (HLSIHRC, 2). In my opinion, the government has obviously taken over the healthcare system and is probably violating these women's rights in order to reduce the number of HIV afflicted individuals. Rather than spend more funding on preventative education, HIV medication, and general healthcare, I believe the government is increasing the salaries of these corrupt medical officials in order for them to force and coerce sterilization among these women to keep the rates of HIV on a decreasing level rather than increasing. What could potentially happen, is that the healthcare system's corruption could become more widespread in regards to other issues beyond women's reproductive and sexual human rights. The corruption could expand to: refusal of HIV treatment amongst homosexual men and women, rape victims, forceful or coerced sterilization of HIV afflicted homosexual men, improper information given to homosexuals, etc. all in order to keep the rates of HIV low.
The policymakers should revoke the licenses of all the medical officials involved in these heinous crimes against the violated women. Not only that, but the policymakers should create explicit laws that require the medical officials to give elaborate and correct information to these women about their sexual/reproductive health, human rights, the process of sterilization, abortion, pregnancy, and any other topics of health that pertain to specifically HIV afflicted women.
"Namibian Women Living with HIV Report Violations of Sexual and Reproductive Rights." Namibian Women Living with HIV Report Violations of Sexual and Reproductive Rights. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. <http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2012/07/30_ihrc-namibian-health-care-report.html>.
I agree that more emphasis should be placed on educating all citizens, both men and women, on HIV--the causes of infection, prevention, etc. Clearly this education should be extended to doctors, as well, so they can develop techniques that allow them to treat patients without being infected. The only thing I would say is missing from your evaluation of the issue is explaining why the government would want to lower HIV rates. A neopatrimonial ruler tends to be concerned with short-term exploitation and maintaining power, and not necessarily worried about the long-term effects of HIV on the greater population. So why might they bother?
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though many issues with medical progress in countries that generally don't have access to a lot of professional help is the lack of education and information being passed around to the public. I do feel that the first step in lowering the HIV rates should be education, on how to control and prevent the spread of such a deadly disease. Though I like the concept that corrupt doctors should have their licenses revoked, I'm not sure how realistic that would be to implement (especially under neopatrimonial rule).
ReplyDeleteAlso, this is Anna LoSecco's account...not very clear from the SN.
DeleteAnother aspect to look at here in my opinion is what the West, or developed countries can do to help this issue not only in Namibia obviously but in all African nations. The obvious solution is for the West to send aid to these nations struggling with HIV/AIDS whether in the form of money, medication, or medical staff. Don't get me wrong this is obviously helpful, but another aspect of this is how the West perceives HIV and women's health and the West's attitudes towards these topics. Some of women's sexual health rights are currently being threatened in this next election with certain politicians wanting to eliminate Planned Parenthood, etc. There is also still a stigma in the U.S. especially associated with HIV/AIDS. If rich developed nations like the United States are acting this way I feel like it will be very difficult for struggling African nations to do any better.
ReplyDeleteIts a wonderful blog concerning sexual health.
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I feel that Africans need to have more education regarding HIV contraction. I read somewhere that although HIV is one of the most difficult sexually transmitted diseases to contract, men feel that they can get rid of HIV by having sex with a virgin. Because this creates an open wound in a young woman, this rape probably contracts HIV, then transmitting it to her baby.
ReplyDeleteAlexis-
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post, but I would want you to go further in considering the "neopatrimonial" behavior in the government. Is it truly neopatrimonial? Is it negligence? Or is it commonplace corruption? After all Namibia is considered a strong democracy by some scholars- do we think that perhaps they are not capturing the whole story?
I also don't detect neopatrimonial motives as much as social stigma about HIV/AIDS among the medical staff. Obviously, this is a matter of a lack of education that the government should take responsibility for. It demonstrates how the issue is only made more difficult by deeply ingrained cultural misconceptions.
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