HIV positive women appeal to traditional rulers for protection
Fifteen HIV positive women in the Volta Region on Wednesday appealed to the traditional authorities, to help uphold their rights.
They also called on the chiefs and queen mothers to use the platforms available to them to educate their subjects against stigmatisation of Persons Living With HIV and adopt HIV prevention measures.
The women made the appeal at a Cultural Dialogue Meeting, organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers Ghana.
The HIV positive women were also billed to meet with directors of the Regional Co-ordinating Council, co-ordinating directors and presiding members of district assemblies and gender advocates in the region.
The women said stigma is still a major obstacle to their right to association, work, inheritance and ownership of property, including those they acquired themselves.
They unanimous in their view that stigma is preventing people from undertaking voluntary testing while some people who tested HIV positive are declining to declare their status, resorting to indiscriminate sex.
They called on the traditional rulers to help check the activities of some known herbalists who falsely claim their abilities to cure HIV.
An HIV positive woman peer counselor said some positive persons discontinued their engagements with the health facilities and patronised the services of herbalists for cure only to aggravate their conditions.
Executives of the Regional Queenmothers Council who attended the meeting assured the HIV positive women that they would take up their grievances for redress.
The women took turns to recount their pathetic experiences since they became HIV positive.
The traditional rulers expressed their admiration for them and urged them to live normal lives while those of them who would like to marry should do so.
They should however inform their spouses about their status.
Issues discussed were gender and culture, stigma and discrimination, Intestate Succession Law and Women Living with HIV.
Source: GNA