Women and their Rights to Sexual and Reproductive Health Essay

Women and their Rights to Sexual and Reproductive Health - Essay Example This system of patriarchy is supported and intensified by our society through the continuous reinforcement of the male domination via different institutions such as religion, government, economy, family, and often than not, the institution of education as well. Likewise, one among the roles being played by these social institutions is the shaping of gender roles between men and women. It is the case that how people are supposed to behave and how they act are something that is already influenced and anticipated by the society. On the one hand, the unjust power dynamics between men and women has affected greatly women in our society in general. It is not just the old, middle – aged, young, or even those females who are not born yet who are affected but generally, all women are troubled. This is for the reason that women are clearly situated at a disadvantageous point because of the unfair and unequal power relations between men and women. Women are considered as second class cit izens who are powerless and need to depend on men. Women lack the power to control their lives and even to rule over their own body since the normative standard expects men to dominate over women. Because of the fact that women cannot even have power over their own bodies, they are not given priority and are usually ignored to have the rights to the sexual and reproductive health. In this regard, this argumentative paper will dwell on the position that women, who lack the control over their bodies, must have the rights to their sexual and reproductive health. I am saying this not just on behalf of those women who are infected by sexual infections and diseases, but I am stating this on behalf of all the women. Not all women may have the full awareness that they are limited because of gender but just accept what the society dictates them. However, sexual and reproductive health is one of the many things that women do not have. Thus, they should have these rights as women. Human immuno deficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), as stated by Amzat and Abdullahi (2008), has turned out to be a challenging global health concern for having around 40 million infected people in Africa. Indeed, this health issue is indeed a global concern but the condition of Africa is something that is really shocking. It is the case that seven (7) out of ten (10) infected with the disease are residing at this region. What contributes to this bulk number of infected people is not just the lack of awareness of having protected sex and the lack of safe sex practice however, according to the United Nations Development Programme – Pacific Centre’s (UNDPPC) (2009) report, there is a close connection between the spread of HIV as well as the distinct and unfair experiences of women and men and together with the unjust power relations between them that leads to the gender – based discrimination of different sorts suffered by women. Moreover, the r esult of the new report has been consistent to the United Nations’ old report in 1996. Both have asserted that gender is still suggested to be considered as a concern in order to address, stop and invert the increase of HIV as well as the other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The case of the spread of HIV in the Pacific is marked by risky sexual behaviors of men who have happened to hold more social power and have more freedom in having sexual activities as compared to women (UNDPPC, 2009). Meanwhile, the society has constructed its ideas on masculinity whose common features link to their likelihood of acquiring this sexual infection. Men’s physical and sexual prowess together with their authority in the society has altered the