What Works for Women and Girls

ical care provided by family members who are not linked to programs (Ogden et al., 2006).While a range of organizations are involved in care and support programs, including healthfacility outreach, NGO-based, faith-based, community-rooted, PLWHA networks and self-helpgroups, unlinked care is still likely the most prevalent type of care available to people livingwith HIV and AIDS.Financial compensation for the labor of women and girls, through reimbursements,stipends, salaries or social protection mechanisms such as pensions, children support grantsor cash transfers would go a long way to meeting some of the needs of women and girls(Esplen, 2007). In the case of girls, they are often removed from school to care for sick relatives.“This is also a huge economic and social loss, both for them and for their future families”(Paxton et al., 2004a: 2). A study in Tanzania found that mothers and daughters provide mostcare, with AIDS care reducing time available for food cultivation (Tarimo et al., 2009).Older Women Need Additional SupportGrandmothers are often the care providers, however, women often have few or no rights toinheritance and property, which particularly affects older women who are widowed (HelpAgeInternational, 2007). Older women are usually considered beyond productive working age,which impedes their income earning abilities. Lack of education further exacerbates their situationin relation to their male counterparts (HelpAge International, 2007). A qualitative studydone in 2003 with elderly respondents (50 years and older) in rural and urban communitiesin two districts of Uganda highlighted the need for comprehensive interventions to supportelderly caregivers of people living with HIV and children affected by HIV/AIDS. There was ageneral concurrence that caring for orphans was more stressful for them especially if the childwas also HIV-positive. Most respondents did not feel optimistic about the future and felt thatthey probably would die sooner than they would have otherwise. While reflecting on appropriateinterventions that enable them to address some of the challenges brought upon themby HIV/AIDS, the majority cited assistance with income-generation projects, provision oftraining programs to enable the respondents to gain better knowledge of best practices of care,and access to protective equipment (Ssengonzi et al., 2007). A cross-sectional study (year notgiven) with a hundred elderly caretakers of orphan and dependent children, village and churchleaders, local administration, government officials, and members of community-based organizationsin Kenya showed the rise in the responsibility of the elderly to provide care for theincreasing number of dependent children in their households and their challenge to ensurefood security. Fifty percent of the elderly caretakers in the study were between ages 65–87 and56% had 4–10 dependents in their households. Women constituted 86% of the elderly caretakers.Ninety percent of the caretakers reported old age illnesses, stress and morbidity thatsignificantly inhibited their productive capacity. Thirty-one percent of caretakers highlightedthat inadequate income was the major cause of food insecurity followed by lack of energyand strength, lack of time, absence of family resource base, and insufficient household labor(Muga et al., 2009).WHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS343