Gender-based Violence a Top Priority for AHF as Women’s Month ends

A US-based non-profit organization, AHF continues to cement itself as one of South Africa’s most significant supporters in the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS. The non-profit organization has worked in South Africa since 2002 and provides HIV/AIDS care and treatment to more than 215,000 clients.

As National Women’s Month comes to a close in South Africa, AIDS Healthcare Foundation commemorates the month with advocacy activations held on at the close of the women’s month in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, aimed at bringing awareness to and combatting gender-based violence affecting women and girls.

In KZN, AHF joined its supported partner organization, the Open Door in Pinetown, to empower women at the center with business and self-defence skills, where in Eastern Cape the organization hosted young women in East London to provide and empower women with skills.

Both the activations put the microscope on other female health issues, such as cervical cancer, mental and reproductive health, and sexually transmitted infections other than HIV. The discussions also addressed the availability and accessibility of Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) to help prevent HIV transmission, especially for rape survivors.

“Empowering women and girls is an integral step towards curbing the effects of GBV, strengthening the observation and preservation of their rights, and making strides towards seeking justice for GBV survivors. Structural gender inequalities, discrimination, violence against women and girls, and unequal gender norms continue to undermine efforts to prevent HIV and access vital HIV/AIDS services. Women have had a long history of oppression, but every fight gets us one step closer to freedom and equality”, says Reshma Ramnandan, AHF Pharmaceutical Services Manager.

In response to GBV, the Open Door can shelter up to 20 vulnerable women who are often accompanied by their children and seeking refuge from abuse. The center operates with support from the Department of Social Development, the National Lottery Board, and private donors.

South Africa commemorates National Women’s Month throughout August, celebrating the more than 20,000 women who marched against the systemic control of women under the apartheid government. This year, AHF focuses on women’s socio-economic rights and empowerment in KZN and the Eastern Cape, where it provides services.