18. marca 2007 0:18:55 CET
Feminism may have been discussed in the West for several decades, but in many parts of the world it's impact has not been felt at all. There still exist major inequalities between women and men in all aspects of living - from employment opportunities, availability of education, and choices in relationships. Many countries still have patriarchal rules governing women's place in sexual relationships. In some societies, women are unable to choose their sexual partners or who they marry, these choices being made for them by men in their families. In situations where the man has all the power, a woman is unlikely to be able to insist on the use of condoms, or to take measures to protect herself from HIV.
In many countries, women still have very narrow career options available to them, and often these are limited to the prescribed roles of teachers, nurses or carers. These roles, however, are crucial ones in all societies. A country which loses a large number of nurses will have great difficulty in keeping it's medical services running. A country which loses many teachers will find it hard to educate the young. And both healthcare and education are absolutely vital anywhere where there is a severe AIDS epidemic.
Women are often required to work harder than men, even if they are infected with HIV. In many places girls may be taken out of school to care for family members who are infected, and a woman who is seen as the main carer for the family will also be expected to go out to work.
