Aflao, Dec. 17, GNA - Ms. Akua Sena Dansuah, Minister of Women and Children Affairs (MOWAC) has said that the gains made by key sectors of the economy, including health, education and human resource development, risks being derailed by the AIDS pandemic if not checked. She gave the caution in an address read for her by Mrs. Juliana Amponsah, Deputy Director, Domestic Violent Unit of MOWAC at a durbar, marking both the World AIDS Day and the Word Campaign Against Gender-Based Violence, to highlight the link between violence against women and HIV/AIDS. She said women biologically are prone to infections during intercourse than men and that was why MOWAC was in empowerment programs for women, through advocacy and sensitisation on their rights, to help ease the AIDS scare they face.

Ms. Dansuah added that men, by culture and tradition, take undue advantage of women in matters relating to sex and reproductive health and therefore put women at a greater risk making them more disproportionately affected by the AIDS disease than men. She called for the re-enforcement of public health and community-based interventions on values that support mutual respect for improved communication between men and women and shared responsibility for sexual and reproductive health. Individual and public interest in the HIV/AIDS fight and the discrimination against persons living with the disease, Ms. Dansuah said need to be stepped up.

Madam Lena Alai, Volta Regional Director, Department of Women, told the people that it was wrong for anyone to think that Gender issues were about women alone but rather it was about both sexes. She said the upbringing of women, which makes them less assertive and shy, in addition to cultural practices, including widowhood rites that weigh heavily against their rights, remain some of the risk factors for women.

Dr. Andrews Ayim, Ketu South and North Districts Director of the Ghana Health Services (GHS) said anything that affects women affect the society, adding that, the number of women affected by AIDS is twice more than that of men and every one must be concerned.