Inequality between men and women in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is a major contributor to the spread of HIV/AIDS, a member of Zimbabwe's parliament has said.
Lazarus Dokora, MP for Rushinga district on the northern border with Mozambique, said the gender imbalance also made it difficult for women to negotiate for safer sex.
The Zimbabwean newspaper, The Herald, quoted Dokora as saying: "Men are socialised to believe that they have the right to decide when, where and how sex takes place, and that they are entitled to have multiple sex partners."
He said responses to HIV/AIDS and the promotion of gender equality presented an opportunity for comprehensive campaigns that could provide long-term solutions to ensure justice and equity among the region's men and women.
Research shows that 40 percent of the more than 50 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide are in the SADC region.
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