African women: a long battle for equality

For Ms. Sibongile Msimela, the UNAIDS gender adviser for East and Southern Africa, the solution to soaring HIV infection rates among women is the full empowerment of women. "None of it is rocket science," she told Africa Renewal from her Johannesburg office. "If the international community had done the things we know we need to do around women's empowerment issues, the impact of HIV and AIDS wouldn't be as severe as it is today."

As welcome as the current focus on women is, much of the debate seems to imply that "African women are doing nothing," she continued. "It's important to keep in mind that African women themselves are very actively pushing for change. The notion that people will come from outside to save African women is wrong. The battle for women's rights has been fought by African women for a long time now."

Women are organized to work for their rights in much of Africa, she noted. They are particularly strong in places like South Africa and Zimbabwe, where they participated in the struggle against white minority rule. "That history of organizing," she said, "has really helped women keep their communities together through some of the darkest times. It's not all gloom and doom."