Gender Inequalities And Cultural Norms

As this paper discusses the role of gender, the first viewpoint that will be discussed is how gender inequalities and cultural norms in certain nations affect the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Culture is highly valued across Africa and some nations still maintain strict gender roles that are considered feminine and masculine. Sub-Saharan Africa has the most cases of HIV/AIDS in the world as 60% of people affected live in this region (Strebel, 2006). South Africa is the single country that has the highest rates of people who are HIV positive as 13% of women in that nation are affected while the statistics for men stand at 8.2% (Strebel, 2006). Cultural norms play a heavy role in the actions and values of individuals. The beliefs and values that surround

This country has a population of approximately 52 million and the ratio of how many incidents of rape occur per 100,000 people is 123:100,000 (Strebel, 2006). These statistics are not only horrifying, but gender-based violence and the risk of contracting HIV have a direct correlation with gender roles placed by cultural beliefs (Chersich, 2008). Taking a look at the relationship between these factors can be done through a social constructionist approach. This theory views gender as a structure within society that determines the access to power, status and material resources (Strebel, 2006). For example, in the South African society there is a tremendous inequality of power between males and females. In fact, this is relatively seen in most societies around the world. Although there are differences in what is considered feminine and masculine in different societies, the basis is that there is a definite dissimilarity between the two genders (Airhihenbuwa, 2004). The gender imbalance in South Africa has led to high rates of sexual assault towards women and an increase in sexually transmitted diseases (Strebel,

This shows that gender and sexuality is an immense topic that includes cultural, social and economic factors that ultimately cause a power imbalance between genders (Chersich, 2008). Economic dependency affects the role of women within a relationship as many women decide to form a partnership with men who they can financially depend on. Whether it be by getting married or choosing to take part in prostitution, many women feel financially dependent on men within these societies (Pettifor, 2004). In the case of prostitution, women exchange sex for money sort of like a transaction. In such circumstances, it is unlikely that women will be able to take the actions needed to ensure safe sex this puts them in an extremely dangerous position. Such relationships are not uncommon therefore many young girls opt for older men to fulfill their financial needs (Pettifor, 2004). In many African societies there is a “culture of silence” around the topic of sex. Women are discouraged to speak about the topic let alone get educated about it. Not being able to get the information needed to keep themselves safe, women are extremely vulnerable in such societies. Even if one has knowledge about it, it is highly unlikely that a woman would be able to initiate a discussion it with their partners about safer sex (Gupta,