The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) notes with great admiration the decline in HIV and AIDS prevalence across the country. The Commission wish to send a message of support to all those people who affected and infected, and wish to extend our deepest sympathy to those who have lost a loved one due to the pandemic.
Much as we are pleased with governments initiatives to combat the disease, and the Department’s plan that by 2011 they want 80% of suffers to be on ARV’s. We are however concerned that about the number of people who are on ARV’s as the department states. The Commission has established a Thematic Committee that looks at the impact of gender and HIV and AIDS. The Committee states that it is imperative for Government and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to form a collective approach in order to defeat HIV and AIDS.
The CGE will continue to monitor and evaluate this plan to determine whether the department achieves this objective. We believe it is the responsibility of every South African citizen and those that are within our borders to ensure that we live a responsible life that ensures that we adhere to healthy sexual practices in order to defeat the scourge of this pandemic.
It is also encouraging to note that boys and some men are now using condoms to safeguarding their lives and that of their partners. Together, we can do more in ensuring that the scourge of HIV and AIDS is arrested for the betterment of the lives of many, who hope to see an HIV and AIDS free generation. We will as an institution in the near future launch our own report on monitoring the National and provincial HIV and AIDS Plans. We continue to call both men and women to share the burden of HIV and AIDS together in ensuring that those that are living with the disease are not discriminated against. The stigma and stereotyping around HIV and AIDS should be eradicated as we build on the good foundation that is being laid.
The Commission call upon all South Africans to talk openly about the dangers of the diseases and how to encourage sexual active boys and girls to abstain until they are ready to engage in sexual acts. The CGE will through radio campaigns, opinion pieces, education campaigns engage society in ensuring that young women and men practice safe sex and that they have to go for testing every six month to safeguard their lives and of others.
The CGE will most definitely support any initiative that will curb the scourge of HIV and AIDS from spiralling out of control. It is also our wish that robust awareness campaigns should be conducted in the rural areas wherein patriarchy is still dominant to educate the people. We call on every citizen to take charge, particularly for both men and women to share responsibility in fighting the disease bearing in mind that South Africa is one of the countries that has the highest number of people living with HIV and AIDS in the sub-Saharan region.
Contact personps:
Javu Baloyi
Cell: 083 579 3306
