Empowerment of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Association with Self-Help Group – A study in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal

Authors

  • Jaya Pandey
  • Dr. Subhrangsu Santra

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53555/ssh.v4i1.297

Keywords:

PLHA, SHGs, Women Movement

Abstract

Over the years, there has been growing evidence of continuous narrowing gender gap in new
HIV infections. The relationship between women‟s empowerment and contracting HIV infections has been accepted worldwide. It may be primarily due to poor status of women, lack of control over sexuality and poor reproductive and sexual rights among women. In India Self-Help Groups (SHGs) or „Support Group‟ is conceived as a strategy to bring together women from socially under privileged section of the society and empower them with information and opportunities for economic securities., empowering People living with HIV(PLHA) and in reduction the risk & vulnerability to STI/HIV. Integrated intervention approaches are proving to be effective when financially sustainable platforms such as microfinance are coupled with non-financial services, such as non-formal education, health linkages, and health services. HIV disproportionately affects women because of their unequal cultural, social and economic status in society. This paper studies the role of SHG or support group as structural intervention strategies in empowering PLHA in addition to improving the key HIV program outcomes, including, but not limited to, awareness, access to HIV/STI testing, treatment services and condom usage. The likelihood of utilizing HIV services including, knowledge on HIV/AIDS and its mode of transmission (94%), accessed drop-in Centre (97%), heard about joint health camps (26%), Received counselling on STI, HIV, condom use and safe sex practices from different sources (94%) and heard of ART (85%) were higher among PLHA associated with SHG in comparison to PLHA not associated with SHG. With their indispensable and influential role, the SHGs have proved to be a blessing in the lives of the PLHA of Uttar Dinajpur. It has been manifested that when a single woman fails to fight, the whole group will stand and fight for her.

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Published

2018-01-31

How to Cite

Pandey, J., & Santra, D. S. (2018). Empowerment of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Association with Self-Help Group – A study in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal. International Journal For Research In Social Science And Humanities, 4(1), 01–11. https://doi.org/10.53555/ssh.v4i1.297

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2018): International Journal For Research In Social Science And Humanities

Section

Articles

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