Extreme Poverty and Its Impact on Women's Vulnerability to HIV Transmissions: A Rights Issue

While this article is specific to Malawi, the research has broader implications for women's experiences with HIV/AIDS, poverty, and discrimination on an international level. The author uses the findings of a study by Women and Law In Southern Africa Research and Educational Trust Malawi (WLSA-Malawi) to ground her argument that extreme poverty drives women to engage in high-risk behavior that infringes on women's right to life. The article highlights a rights-based approach in the context of men's and women's participation and accountability in situations where social and economic factors make women vulnerable to HIV transmission. The author concludes with an outline of nine issues that need urgent attention from the political-administrative judicial system in order to implement a rights-based approach.