WOMEN now represent about the half of the people living with HIV. However, today the majority of persons who become HIV- positive and who die of AIDS in developing countries are women. Several factors which are rooted in the social relations and women’s economic realities contribute to the fact that women now are becoming infected at a faster rate than men. Women often are not free to make empowered choices concerning their sexual life. Many women experience sexual and economic subordination in their relation with their partners and also at work. In many developing countries women have no social and independent status and depend on men to have access to productive resources. Unequal power relations between men and women, and financial and economic dependence make it difficult for women to negotiate for safe sex. In this context sexual relations between young women and older men are frequent, in particular in arranged marriages. Often, the husband helped the girl’s family financially. These inter generational marriages increases the risk for the young women to be infected with HIV. Older men are more likely to be HIV-positive and to infect their young partner. Women are especially exposed to the consequences of HIV/AIDS. AIDS exacerbates the unequal division of work and responsibilities. The traditional domestic role of women means that girls and women are more likely to provide care for the sick relatives. When the family is affected by AIDS the “double burden” of women is intensified because they have to care for sick relatives in addition to work to contribute to household income. This situation reduces the educational opportunities of the girls and young women and their opportunities to achieve their financial independence. As a result the proportion of women working in informal economy, or lower paid employment is likely to increase.

Trade unions have vital leadership roles to play in changing attitudes in the world of work and community at large. Employment policies and practices should be reviewed to address gender inequality in the context of HIV/AIDS.

Unions should pursue several lines of actions, among them:

To address the low status of women as the main mean to combat violence against women and girls and therefore place them directly in harm’s way:-

1. To support HIV- positive women;

2. To negotiate with employers to provide financial assistance to HIV – positive workers in order for them and their family to have access to treatment or to encourage workplace medical facilities to diagnose and treat STIs which increase the risk of HIV;

3. To provide information and education for men and women that includes sexual and reproductive health;

4. To train union representatives on HIV/AIDS and how to prevent and treat it;

5. To campaign and make efforts to remove stigma and discrimination that are still attached to people infected with HIV.