About PIWDW Issues
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS is not just a disease. While it has become treatable in the West, for millions of people in the developing world AIDS is a constant menace that offers little hope or reprieve. From weak and fragile health care infrastructure to limited basic care and testing facilities, AIDS is a threat to everyone and everything in the developing world. But often, the scourge of AIDS is most devastating to women in developing countries.
Africa, Asia and Latin America lead the world in HIV infection. More than two-thirds of the world’s HIV positive population live in Africa, 20% in Asia and 4% in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In Nepal, for example, the AIDS crisis is fast reaching a critical stage. The combination of sex trafficking to India, few testing facilities, limited health care options and a turbulent political situation that has destabilized the entire country, has proven a ripe ground for the spread of AIDS. The remoteness of Nepal coupled with the pervading stigma attached to the disease has rendered the spread unstoppable so far.
Throughout Latin America, the situation is similar, though in some ways, more hopeful. Female sex workers are among the most infected populations and many married women are unknowingly infected by husbands who work abroad. But unlike in parts of Asia, many of the most populous countries in Latin America, like Brazil and Mexico, are attempting to provide anti-retroviral therapy to all people who are infected through the large-scale production of generic drugs.
The Press Institute for Women in the Developing World is dedicated to covering the effects of AIDS throughout the developing world. Our reporters cover stories of prejudice and death, hope and healing and nearly every experience in between. The unique stories uncovered by PIWDW reporters in Global Training Sites around the world will help to cultivate a better understanding of the still desperate scourge of AIDS.
Violence Against Women
From domestic violence to ritual rape, violence against women is a common occurance all over the world. Thankfully, domestic violence is now recognized as a major issue on the international human rights agenda. But domestic violence in the developing world continues to affect hundreds of thousands of women each year. From human trafficking and rape to polygamy and sexual abuse of young girls, violence against women spans many countries and cultures. In many places violence against women also includes harmful cultural practices like genital mutilation.
As is the case with many issues that greatly affect the lives of women throughout the world, reliable data about gender-based violence is scarce. A recent study in Thailand suggested that almost half of all Thai women have been physically of sexually abused. Other countries, like Cambodia, have recently put laws into affect that criminalizes marital rape and allows victims of domestic violence to seek protective care.
Press Institute reporters aim to reporter on the realities of violence against women in their communities, and the many forms the violence takes. Through their balanced, heart-felt, unique, and powerful stories we hope to draw local and global attention to this issue.
Poverty
Half of the world’s population, nearly 3 billion people, live on less than that two US dollars a day. Yet the countless effects of poverty are scarcely covered by mainstream media.
Nearly 800 million women and children in the developing world are chronically undernourished and nearly 1.5 million people die every year from lack of access to safe drinking water. But the reality of poverty cannot be understood with statistics alone. Extreme poverty robs women of the opportunity for education and basic health care. It increases rates of infant, child and maternal mortality. Poverty forces people into unthinkable situations everyday – like having to sell one child to feed another.
PIWDW reporters will bring the far-away reality of third world poverty home. Their stories of survival will inspire and their reports of hunger and death will formalize the reality of poverty in the developing world.
Reproductive Rights
From family planning and contraception to abortion and sexual health, the issue of reproductive rights affects women in the developing world in countless ways.
Millions of women throughout the developing world lack access to family planning and related health care services. These services include access to contraception, pre- and post-natal medical care and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Beyond basic health care, reproductive rights encompass many of the other issues addressed above, including rape, which often leads to STDs and unwanted pregnancies.
Clandestine abortion also continues to be a devastating problem throughout the developing world. Abortion performed under unsafe conditions is a serious threat to reproductive and mental health. The World Health Organization estimates that of the 46 million abortions that occur each year, roughly 20 million are performed in dangerous, unsanitary conditions. Poorly trained providers, crude methods and desperate measures of self-inducement kill at least 80,000 women each year.
The Press Institute for Women in the Developing World does not hold a political position on abortion or other reproductive rights issues. Rather, Press Institute reporters seek to tell real stories about the reality of reproductive issues in their communities.
Political Oppression
It has long been recognized that the successful development of third world countries depends greatly on gender equality. Yet after decades of discussion, millions of women all over the world remain politically oppressed. Press Institute reporters will cover stories of political oppression on a countless number of specific issues including some of the following:
- Voting rights
- Equal pay for equal work
- Women’s reproductive rights
- Financial resources
- Access to health care
- Political decision making
- Accurate representation in media
- Religious persecutions
Our reporters will delve into issues that are under-covered by the mainstream media and will bring you the real stories behind the lives of women who live in conditions where political oppression is the norm and opposing that norm can be dangerous.
Community Development
The women of the developing world live in an ever-challenging environment. Disease, famine and struggle are certainly part of life. But so too are the great determination, resolve and spirit of women in communities from Chiapas to Cambodia.
Press Institute reporters will not only relate stories of struggle, they will also tell stories of inspiration and progress. From environmental programs and sanitation projects to literacy and health care initiatives, our reporters will bring you news of the latest advancements in their communities.
Subscribe to RSS feed