Vulnerability of Girls to HIV/AIDS
Kanthi WIJETUNGE (Sri Lanka)
Vulnerability of women and girls to HIV infection due to social cultural, economic andlegal discriminations against them can be considered as a gross human rights violation.
Women and girls are at the highest risk of abuse and exploitation and studies haverevealed that HIV/AIDS is fast becoming a “girls’ epidemic”. Since girls often lack basic
information and services to protect themselves, they continue to face a spectrum of
human rights violations including trafficking, prostitution and sexual abuse whichmight result in spread of HIV infection.
In spite of the fact that Sri Lanka remains as a low HIV prevalent country with aprevalent rate below 0.1%, it is reported that there are 5,000 HIV infected persons in SriLanka. Studies reveal that there is a growing tendency in the spread of the infection
during the recent past. Sri Lanka is a country which has been embroiled in a brutal
armed conflict for more than two decades and its population has been exposed to aclimate of constant fear and insecurity throughout the country. Some children havegrown up in the confines of refugee settings. In addition to fulfillment of their basic
human needs, these children suffer from various human rights violations. It has been
revealed that HIV prevalence rate has increased among older children particularly girls,
due to lack of awareness, stigmatization and unsafe sexual practices. Armed conflict andconsequent displacement have created conditions that make the spread of HIV more
likely in the North and East.
By the time Sri Lanka faced the Tsunami tragedy on December 26, 2004, many girls losttheir parents and had to seek assistance of unknown people for their survival. Initially,
many had to be in refugee camps with nobody’s protection. Even during this crucial
moment, some men tried to fulfill their sexual desires through these innocent girls.
Consequently, many girls were subjected to rape and other forms of sexual harassment.
It was revealed that in most instances, the perpetrators were their own relatives who
took the guardianship of these girls in the absence of their parents.
In view of the above, a number of risk factors can be identified as contributory to thespread of the infection among girls in Sri Lanka. The country has a large youth
population which is 28% of the total population and more than a half of that population
is girls. Also the growing commercial sex industry; external and internal migration;
displaced situations and the prevailing armed conflict are some of them.
Moreover, as girls and young women are expected to know little about sex and sexuality,
they are subject to sexual abuse due to fear of violence. This lack of knowledge puts
them at risk of HIV infection. Once girls get infected they fall ill causing damages totheir future lives such as denial of their basic education. All their adulthood dreams arestolen from them before their own eyes. The impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of girls isdifferent from that of boys because HIV positive females receive less family support andresources for recovery and rehabilitation. Further, girls’ vulnerability to infection might
increase where the effects of poverty is exacerbated by the low status of girls and womenin society.
Girls belong to any social class might subject to serious problems due to their lack ofknowledge on sexual matters. This was proved recently at a workshop held at a leading

girls’ school in Colombo. Participants of this workshop were girls from affluent families.
Many of them have encountered some kind of sexual problems. Being reluctant todiscuss the matters in public, they sought answers to their problems through writtenquestions. One girl has been continuing a sexual relationship with a driver who is amarried person and used to be the driver of her school van. She was anxious to knowwhether she acquired any sexually transmitted disease. At this workshop, it was alsorevealed that many girls who sought counseling were from families where both parents
are high level professionals. Since these parents lack time to be with their children, thegap was filled by outsiders. Under such circumstances, mostly girls become victims ofunscrupulous people.
Progress in the fight against HIV infection depends on what is being done for womenand girls to protect them from HIV infection. Their vulnerability can be easily prevented
through raising awareness on their reproductive rights and sexual health. Measuresthat encourage equality, economic independence and education are also needed tocombat the epidemic. The strategies adopted by the Government of Sri Lanka tomitigate the problem are commendable. The National Aids Council has been establishedrecently under the chairmanship of the President with the objective of getting maximum
support towards the national response through the involvement of political hierarchy.
Further, an important policy statement was made to promote early intervention towards
behavior development of the young generation in the country.