BATTERED WOMEN AT GREATER RISK OF CONTRACTING HIV/AIDS
By Catherine Avorseh, Koforidua

August 28, 2003 – (Ghanaian Chronicle - Accra) WOMEN WHO suffer from gender violence have been found to be at greater risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.

This is because, many of these women refuse to have sex with their partners who already have multiple sex partners and end up being physically abused and raped by their partners.

The executive director of the Ark Foundation, Ms. Angela Dwamena Boakye, noted this at a training workshop on gender violence and HIV/AIDS at Koforidua, last Monday.

Participants were drawn from driver's unions in the Eastern and Greater Accra regions, partner NGOs representatives from churches as well as the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) of the Police service.

Ms. Boakye acknowledged that although a lot of work is being done in HIV/AIDS awareness creation, there has not been much concentration on gender violence and HIV/AIDS.

"There is the need to train ourselves to be able to educate and support people who come to us, hence the need for this workshop, she stressed.

Explaining the reasons for the target groups, the executive director said the drivers were chosen because they are very mobile and would easily carry the message across by ensuring that they protect their partners and themselves from getting infected.

Concerning the church, she observed that almost 70 per cent of the congregation are women, adding that most of the women who suffer from physical violence can be identified in the churches.

Among topics discussed in the week-long programme include violence against women, medical perspectives, community outreach and counselling sessions.

The Ark Foundation is an advocacy-based organisation aimed at protecting the rights of women and children.

It also offers integrated support service to victims of gender violence and child abuse.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200308280560.html