“Wives of uniformed personnel a key partner to combating HIV/AIDS”: Winnie Singh

[Guest guest]

" Wives of uniformed personnel a key partner to combating HIV/AIDS "

Winnie Singh

" We have dwelt long and discussed issues relating to how to HIV/AIDS

among the Uniformed services, the HIV prevention and care needs of

their wives and partners, their children and families always hit a

blind spot! Well, it was a perfect example of missing the tree for

the wood…and the woods for the tree " . Said Ms. Winnie Singh, who

recently relinquished charge as President of the Assam Rifles Wives

Welfare Association (ARWWA)

Ms. Singh was addressing a session on " Women, Security & AIDS in

Wives of Uniformed Personnel " at the XVI International Conference

on AIDS in Toronto Canada.

Ms. Singh is the chair person of the NGO Maitri- involved in the

welfare of women and children of the uniformed services personnel.

Ms. Singh is also a member of the National Commission for Women,

India. According to Ms. Singh, the way ahead to deal with the

causes, consequences and to mitigate the impact of HIV on the

families of the personnel of the Uniformed services, there must be

greater cohesion and visibility of women as leaders. The leaders

must be willing to break taboos which have silenced women,

especially in India. They must be able to strengthen and provide

long term support to women's empowerment in society and their

leadership role and being able to mobilize existing women's

movements.

At the conference Ms. Singh proposed bold measures such as women

being mature and astute enough to ensure that the husband always

should have a condom handy and not to stand in judgment over his

morality but to protect themselves and their children by always

taking precaution.

A two-pronged approach must be adopted – prophylaxis and

rehabilitation. While prevention is only possible through

precaution, and therefore, advocacy, the rehabilitative aspect is a

great deal more complex since it covers critical socio-economic

issues. This rehabilitation calls for building awareness and

sensitizing people affected, infected and afflicted by HIV/AIDS.

This cover should extend not just to those themselves infected with

the virus but their immediate families, dependents and peers.

Additional suggestions from Ms. Singh included, a call for easy

access for women to affordable information and facilities for

reproductive heath care including free condoms, integrate VCT into

sexual and reproductive health services, introduce the concept of

pre-marital counselling and testing followed by periodic health

check-ups and couple counselling, creating a common platform for

wives of all the Soldiers living with HIV/AIDS, (SLWHA) introduce

disclosure policy in uniformed services with wives/partners being

giving option of " informed choice " to opt in or out of marriage or

choose to continue or terminate pregnancies, prepare group health &

life insurance packages for wives of uniformed personnel and legal

services for wives of SLWHA for succession rights & social/economic

security.

The 16th International Conference is being held in Toronto form

13th – 18th August and about 25,000 delegates- scientists, policy

makers, people living with HIV/AIDS activists, and political

leaders are attending the conference.

__________________

Sanjay Sharma

Director,

Maitri,

Pineview II, Nongrimmaw,

Laitumkhrah, Shillong - 793 011

Meghalaya, India.

Tel: +364-250-6050, +94361-61402

e-mail: <sanjay.sharma.cognet@...>