NCJ Number
199762
Date Published
2002
Length
128 pages
Annotation
In Zambia, as in other countries in the region, tens of thousands of girls suffer in silence as the government fails to provide basic protections from sexual assault that would lessen their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
Abstract
This study documents several categories of abuse that heighten girls' risk of HIV infection. These include sexual assault of girls by family members, guardians, and caretakers; the sexual abuse of girls, many of whom are orphans, who trade sex for the means of helping themselves and their siblings survive; and the sexual abuse of girls who live on the street, many of whom are orphans. Zambia's criminal justice system has failed to respond appropriately to complaints of such sexual abuse. There are many barriers to the effective reporting and prosecution of sexual assault. For young girls who are being sexually abused by family members or other persons responsible for their care, reporting their abuse may mean risking abandonment or violent punishment. In other cases, victimized girls remain silent about their abuse because of the perception that legal and social services systems will not protect them. Police are not sensitive to the plights of these victimized girls, and health service providers often blame them for their promiscuity. The court system lacks any facilities for youths, and the culture teaches girls to be submissive to men. In Zambia, as in many African countries, most of the laws that would protect girls from sexual assault are on the books, but they have not been enforced. The police should receive special training in child abuse and violence against women. Abuses against girls must be investigated and prosecuted, followed by appropriate punishments upon conviction. Recent studies have shown a reduction in HIV prevalence among young adults in Zambia, reportedly due to sexual behavior change, including increased condom use; however, progress in reducing new cases will be slowed if the abuses that put girls at risk of infection are not addressed. International and national policymakers who are responsible for responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa should take the steps necessary to break the cycle of abuse and transmission by making the protection of girls' human rights a central part of their anti-HIV/AIDS strategies. Specific recommendations are listed for the Zambian Government, those responsible for HIV/AIDS-related programs, and the United Nations. Appended Convention on the Rights of the Child, excerpts from the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Declaration of Commitment of the U.N. General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, June 2001