Almost a third of the total HIV-infected population in Nepal are women, and this female population is the fastest growing HIV-infected population in the rural areas of Nepal. Along with illiteracy and poverty, gender inequality and an inability to successfully negotiate safer sex with their partners have been noted as reasons for the increase in the burden of HIV among women. Realising that they are at risk of HIV infection because of sociocultural factors, women in rural areas of Nepal are helping to prevent HIV at the local level; however, their role in HIV prevention is often unrecognised.

Subash Thapa, “Women Helping Women Prevent HIV in Resource-Limited Settings,” The Lancet 391, no.10122 (February 2018), doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30307-6

URL: www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)30307-6/abstract