This 12-minute documentary was filmed and produced in Kenya by Population Action International (PAI). The film explores some of the complex realities of married women, and how the challenges of HIV prevention in this group defy simple solutions. According to the producers, the film urges a broader, integrated approach to preventing HIV, which includes confronting damaging social norms that put all people - men and women alike – at risk. It is designed to raise awareness of the risk of HIV transmission within marriage and illustrate the particular challenges facing married women. It also shows that traditional approaches to HIV prevention do not meet the needs of married women, because practicing abstinence is unrealistic, wives cannot control the faithfulness of their husbands, and because they find it difficult to negotiate condom use.

The producers say that there are steps that can be taken to reduce the vulnerability of married women and men to HIV infection, including stronger policies, better prevention strategies, and changes in harmful social norms. These steps can include:

• educating men and women about social norms and how those norms negatively impact men and women’s health;
• building political will to enact and reform policies to reduce women's vulnerability;
• ensuring legal protections for women’s property and inheritance rights;
• enacting and enforcing laws against domestic violence and rape, including marital rape;
• achieving equality in girls’ education at all levels;
• increasing HIV counseling and testing focused on couples;
• developing programmes that promote condom use among married couples; and
• integrating HIV services with family planning and reproductive health services to reach more married women with information and support (such programmes also have a history of increasing male involvement in reproductive health decision making).

This film is intended to be used as an advocacy tool to inform, provoke discussion, and mobilise political and financial support for evidence-based HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes, and broader social and economic policies to improve the lives of women and their families. The film is accompanied by fact sheets that can be downloaded from the website and used at organised screenings.

English

Population Action website on June 19 2009.