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Femact rejects HIV/Aids Bill
2008-02-04 08:54:35
By Guardian Reporter
A non-governmental organisation, Feminist Activists Coalition (FemAct), has declared that the HIV/Aids Bill is unacceptable and cannot be implemented in its present form.
According to FemAct, the Bill should be returned to stakeholders for further consultations and revisions to incorporate more views.
FemAct declared this in a joint statement to the Parliament signed by its coordinator Usu Mallya on Thursday.
The statement says the coalition held the Gender and Development Seminar Series (GDSS) on January 30, this year at the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP).
Members of GDSS, Feminist Activist Coalition (FemAct), Tanzania Aids Forum and many other networks, including those led and composed of people living with HIV/Aids discussed the HIV/Aids Bill.
The seminar was addressed by a representative from the government drafting team and by a spokesperson from the group of 62 CSO who submitted a joint position paper of the Bill at the public hearing held at Karimjee Hall on January 15, 2008,`` read the statement in part.
FemAct further says that the revised Bill (after the first public hearing) was not shared with CSOs by the Government, and CSOs were not invited in to the later discussion as promised.
``Participants also deplore the government`s failure to commit itself to provide the full resources needed for prevention, care and treatment hiding instead behind, the phrase ``where resources allow``, read the statement.
The coalition further says the proposed governance structure will lead to the centralisation of power under TACAIDS; and the concentration on Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW), negates the multisectoral strategy adopted by government and CSOs.
According to participants` views, a more appropriate Ministry to coordinate HIV/Aids engagement is Prime Minister`s Office.
The GDSS session also agreed that there was a need to mainstream gender issues in the Bill.
They also noted the very narrow understanding of prevention (transmission through sex or contaminated blood/equipment), which exclude the way malnutrition and ill health lower immunity to HIV infection; and the need for a strong, accessible public health and water systems for all.
``We FemAct, on behalf of the Januray 30, 2008 GDSS participants, respectively and urgently call upon the Members of Parliament to withhold the Bill until there is a wider consultation and revision so as to ensure that all stakeholders' views are incorporated,` concludes the statement.
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