“In Africa a woman with AIDS is often thrown out of her marriage and abandoned by her family,” said Shalome Odokara of Portland’s Women in Need, Inc.
Last Tuesday, Odokara spoke about the AIDS epidemic’s effect on women in Africa and the United States. She addressed the complex roles that poverty, discrimination, gender roles, stigma and warfare play in the disease as well as what her organization does to support women suffering from the AIDS crisis.
In its inception, the organization’s mission was to support poor women around the world through education and training for the business world, healthcare and human rights. While it still dedicates time to these areas, it has shifted the focus to women and families living with AIDS and the HIV virus.
“Poor women are affected so drastically and the need is so great. We want to give a voice to these women who have no voice while at the same time helping the extended families and orphans of AIDS and educating people in prevention and treatment of disease,” said Odokara.
Because of their biology, women are four times more likely to become infected with the HIV virus from a man than a man is likely to become infected from a woman. Also, while infection rates for men have dropped over recent years, they are steadily rising for women, said Odokara, whose source is UNAIDS, a joint United Nations HIV/AIDS program.
“The AIDS crisis is not only a crisis for Africa, but it is a crisis for all women,” Odokara said.
There are many differences for women living with AIDS in the United States and Africa. There is a lack of resources such as a dependable and competent healthcare infrastructure, economic means, and a social and emotional support network, she said. Cultural taboos often prevent AIDS victims from seeking and receiving the support they need.
“Having AIDS is a shameful thing in Africa, and this leads to a lack of support for its victims. Don’t get me wrong, all of these things do exist in the U.S., but they exist to such a greater degree in African cultures,” Odokara said.
When looking at the issue from a global standpoint, Odokara said she does not think world leaders are doing enough to combat the AIDS crisis in Africa.
North America has an estimated 920,000 people living with HIV and AIDS. Sub-Saharan Africa alone has 25.3 million people living with the disease. Meanwhile, the United States has spent almost $11 billion on AIDS, with 5 percent of that going to international efforts to combat the disease.
“I understand the American need to care for its citizens, but there is a bigger picture to look at. The world is such an interconnected and transient place that what happens in Rwanda will affect us here whether we like it or not. There are immigrants moving into this country every day, and we cannot close our borders on AIDS.”
The United States could be doing more to call attention to the problem, she said. It could use its influence to address issues such as debt restructuring, which could free up funding for treatment and prevention and Odokara said that if this crisis were happening in Bosnia or another European country, America would have done something a long time ago.
Odokara said she enjoys sharing a dialogue on AIDS with today’s youth and that the idealism of students gives her strength to continue her work. Women in Need Inc. is now based out of Portland, and Odokara hopes to collaborate with Catholic Charities in a statewide effort to help women and families affected by AIDS and to address the unique needs of refugees unaccustomed to American healthcare and support systems.
Last week’s event was attended by more than 50 people and was co-sponsored by the Department of Women’s Studies and the Museum of African Tribal Arts.
Contributing Writer Maria D’Andrea can be contacted at: [email protected]