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Obstacles to HIV Prevention: Over-sexualization in the Media
HIVAN. November 2006.
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The Centre for HIV and AIDS Networking (HIVAN) and the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) invite you, your colleagues, friends and fellow community-members to join us at our free Forums, which take place regularly throughout the year. The next Forum topic is: Obstacles to HIV Prevention: Over-sexualisation in the Media.
This is a dialogue not to be missed, with a vibrant, highly relevant four-hour programme, designed to facilitate broad-based input and effective information-sharing. It will focus on the links between gender inequality and the spread of HIV/AIDS, viewing various forms and formats of media and the ways in which they contribute to shaping social understandings of sexuality, desirability and risks to health. This line of thought is condensed by Prof Suzanne Leclerc-Madlala - Head of UKZN's School of Anthropology, who said, on her appointment as UNAIDS Advisor on HIV Prevention in the SADC region earlier this year:
"We cannot hope to arrest the spread of HIV/AIDS in the sub-region if we ignore the context in which this epidemic is occurring. High rates of sexual violence, child abuse, inter-generational and transactional sex, silence and stigma are all endemic and are catalysed by poverty and the growing wealth gap...society needs to shift in the way it relates to itself, including the ways in which mea and women relate to each other. If we ignore the wider contextul issues, our scientific responses to HIV could be viewed as little more than an acceptance that women's human rights will be abused and that the best we can do is manage the process. I think we can do much better than that".
During post-presentation dialogue at several of our HIV Prevention Fora over the past few years, audience members have raised the issue of over-sexualisation in the media. As parents, teachers, practitioners, faith-leaders or congregants, they have described their frustrations with being unable to counter the marked influence of sexualised mass media messaging, particularly on young people. Such products are relayed via all types of media, including but not limited to television, radio, newspapers, posters, billboards, cell-phones and the Internet. The discourse suggested by these observations is that with media content that is explicitly sexual; entrenches gender inequality; degrades both women and men; warps notions of self-esteem along materialistic and consumerist lines, and expos es children to health-disabling concepts. HIV prevention interventions are thwarted. A programme of topics compiled to explore this issue at the Forum session ranges from ?“Socially Irresponsible Marketing?” (with a case study on a specific product?’s advertising), to a faith-based perspective, as well as research on the ease of access to and effects of exposure to pornography by children and youth by a leading child?’s rights activist. A fourth presentation will focus on the psychological aspects of such messaging, with some practical suggestions for resistance. In order to offer access to and for a full spectrum of media opinions and responses, the presentations will be followed by a ?“Media Open Mike?” slot for editors and journalists.
Light refreshments will be served.
Chairperson: Professor Jerry Coovadia - Victor Daitz Chair of HIV/AIDS Research and Presenters will included: Judith King - Media and Communications Consultant ?– HIVAN; a Faith-Based Leader (to be confirmed); Gender/Child Rights Specialist (to be confirmed) and Kerry Frizelle - Lecturer - School of Psychology, UKZN.
- Date: Thursday, 23 November 2006
- Time: 14h00 - 18h00
- Venue: Susser and Stein Seminar Room, 1st floor, DDMRI Building, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal.
- RSVP: For catering purposes, PLEASE reply to indicate how many people will be attending, by contacting: Fathima Abdulla: Tel 031-260 3331 / Fax no: 031-260 2013; E-mail: [email protected]
Do forward this invitation to your colleagues, or simply forward their contact details to Fathima, and she will add them to our mailing list.
For more information on this forum, please visit: https://hivan.org.za/Resources/advocacy_alert.asp
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