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1 September 2017 – Malawian journalist Alick Ponje received the inaugural Southern Africa Media Award in Social Accountability Reporting during the Telkom-Highway Africa Awards Gala Dinner held yesterday evening at the 21^st annual Highway Africa conference, the world’s largest gathering of African journalists, at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa.

The recently held Harare Agricultural show witnessed SAfAIDS showcasing some of its men’s programmes as a way of reaching more men with its interventions. Through one of the SAfAIDS programmes Men as partners/Women as partners (WasP/MasP) programme which addresses harmful cultural practices that perpetuate the abuse of women and girls, men were engaged on the role they should play in ending any form of violence against women and girls

Concerned mothers from Harare’s Mabvuku suburb approached SAfAIDS staff during the Harare Agricultural Show seeking advice on curbing risky sexual behaviours among adolescents in their community. They reported that nude parties have become a regular occurrence in the area and they fear for their children’s health and welfare.

The old adage ‘give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’, aptly sums up Nyarai Kaliati’s life. A mother of three, Nyarai used to rely on her husband for her family’s upkeep. Patriarchy taught her to submit to her husband and she  expected him to provide everything for the family. But Nyarai had never really accepted that situation and often argued with her husband, as she wanted him to account for every cent he earned. This did not go down well with him.

By Moses Magadza

Women Members of Parliament from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) attending a two day conference organised by SADC PF and other partners in Mahé, Seychelles from 5 to 6 July 2017, have made strong recommendations for greater parliamentary involvement in the ratification and domestication of relevant international and continental instruments relating to women, girls, HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights.

The economic decline in Zimbabwe between 2008 and 2009 escalated the unemployment rates which resulted in people like Peter Kufahakutizwi from Mafararikwa Village to resort to cross border trading. It was his only way to escape from poverty and support his family as he felt it was safer for him to indulge in such business than his wife. Getting in contact with high risk sexual networks within the cross border business calls for men who are strong and well responsible, and Peter almost found himself trapped between pleasure and family responsibilities. The 2013 gender perspective to multiple sexual partners indicated relatively high-risk behaviour on the part of male respondents than females, with only nine percent of women having two or more sexual partners compared to 19 percent of men, hence Peter was at risk too.

Self-stigma has an impact on a person’s ability to live positively, it also affects adherence to treatment and access to health services. Makhumalo Chakela, a 57-year-old woman who lives in n Matebeleng Ha Ralebona, in Leribe District found it very difficult to disclose her HIV status to her relatives. After her husband’s death, she discovered she was HIV positive but taking medication was a farfetched idea as she was still grieving.

 

Mr Muvhundusi is one of the guide and counselling teachers at Chegato high school in Mberengwa district, which is one of the schools under the SAfAIDS Young People Information Advocacy (YPISA) programme, spearheaded by Betseranai a SAfAIDS partner. He highlighted a number of challenging issues that were affecting students before the intervention of the YPISA programme. Amongst these are bullying, dealing with relationships, pre-marital sex, drugs and alcohol abuse. Reports indicate that young people are at high risk of contracting HIV with 40% of all new HIV infections occurring in 15 to 24 year olds. As such empowerment on sexual health information is a necessity.

 

The SAfAIDS Young People’s Transformational SRHR and Gender Leadership Academy (YPLA), has nurtured me to be more conversant, passionate and cognisant of issues around sexual reproductive health and rights, gender equality and sexual diversity. Although I had already started on my leadership journey on SRHR advocacy work, I lacked the enthusiasm. I did not believe in myself. I was afraid of failing. I could not explore any possibility of a bright future because I was still engulfed in my past. I had anxieties that I did not want to confront and that really had a toll on my confidence.

A village head of Mafararikwa community (Noah Mafararikwa) usually referred to sabhuku Nyamadzawo as one of the traditional leaders who whole-heartedly committed to work towards achieving gender equality through accepting and involving women and girls in their societal norms and practises. He is part of SAfAIDS Irish Aid Community for Gender Transformation program (CGTF) and he hopes to see his community understanding cultural and religious practises that perpetuate the abuse of women and girls.