Image Source: NACOSA
Local – According to the Manager from NACOSA, Yolaan Andrews, education lies at the forefront of long-term solutions to the intersecting crises of HIV and AIDS and gender-based violence.
While medical treatment remains essential, Andrews said the fight against HIV and gender-based violence cannot succeed without access to accurate information.
Without education around health rights and available services, survivors are often left vulnerable long after the violence has occurred.
Many young women, she explained, are never informed about the medical protection available to them after sexual assault, placing them at immediate risk of HIV infection.
“They have a right to sexual reproductive health services. They have a right to access post-exposure prophylactics… within 72 hours. But the reality is a lot of this information is not shared with young people,” Andrews said.
Even when survivors have some awareness of their rights, real-world access to healthcare remains a serious obstacle. Service delivery challenges, particularly in rural communities, continue to disrupt consistent care.
Long distances to clinics, a lack of transport money and financial dependence on abusers leave many survivors with no practical way to seek treatment.
“What we’ve seen on the ground is that this patriarchal society and the lack of consistency in service delivery… creates barriers for young women to actually access services, but not only access, to continuously retain those services,” she said.
Power, Fear and Control in Abusive Relationships
Andrews said fear and power imbalances continue to shape decision-making in many abusive relationships, often determining whether survivors disclose abuse, seek medical care or remain on HIV treatment.
Economic dependency and social pressure, she said, routinely strip young women of control over their own health and personal choices.
“It’s about the power of men over their decision-making authority… when they are constantly pushed down in terms of what they’re allowed to do,” Andrews said.
Community Education as the Frontline Response
To counter these challenges, NACOSA has placed community-led education at the centre of its intervention strategy. Andrews said sustainable change must begin inside communities themselves.
Peer networks, traditional leaders and faith-based organisations play a critical role in shifting harmful norms and supporting survivors.
“We’ve relied heavily on peer-to-peer education — so young people talking to young people,” she said.
Men and boys, Andrews stressed, must be actively involved if meaningful change is to take root, as long-term progress depends on shifting power, strengthening education and transforming social norms at the grassroots level.
“They do hold power over women in a sense, and that has to change by themselves as men and young boys changing their mindset and understanding sexual consent,” she said.
