More Men Die Of AIDS Than Women In Nigeria- UN Director

Mr Ronald Kayanja, the Lagos Director, United Nations Information
Centre revealed on Wednesday at the United Nations International Women’s Day
celebration organised by a coalition of non-governmental organisations in Lagos
that more men die of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the
country, in spite of the fact that women are more affected by the virus.

Kayanja said, “In Nigeria today, women represent 58 per cent
of all the people living with HIV. The power inequalities that underline
gender-based violence, including physical, sexual, psychological and economic
violence, expose young women to HIV.

“I hasten to add that even though women are
disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic, more men than women die of
AIDS every year in Nigeria.

“Of particular concern to the UN is the political will to
implement the Nigeria National Gender Policy, which commits to affirmative
action and requires that women fill 35 per cent of appointed positions.

“Regrettably, we are far from the target presently. For
instance, in the current National Assembly, women representation is at its
lowest with only 5.6 per cent of the members of the House of Representatives
and 6.5 per cent of the senators being women.”