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CONFERENCE PROGRAM AND ICGCS 2021

ABSTRACT BOOK

Gender Disaster and Pandemy

Gender Inequality Contributes to Women's

Vulnerability to HIV During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Aris Tristanto

Universitas Andalas

The decline in the HIV epidemic in Indonesia is still far from the target. This can be seen from data from

the Directorate of Direct Infectious Disease Prevention and Control of the Indonesian Ministry of Health
which noted that during the period January to September 2020 there were 32,293 new HIV cases in

Indonesia. In addition, based on data from the HIV and AIDS Information System (SIHA) report as of June 5,
2020, only 3,950 PLWHA which is equivalent to 1% of the total 394,769 PLWHA have had their viral load
checked. This figure is still very far from the total number of existing cases, even though viral load checks

are important to assess the effectiveness of ARV therapy and reduce the potential for transmission of
PLWHA.

Although various HIV and AIDS control programs have been promoted, the decline in the HIV epidemic in
Indonesia is still far from expectations. One of the factors contributing to the increasing HIV epidemic in
Indonesia is gender inequality in society and contributing to women's vulnerability to HIV. The high

number of women infected with HIV and AIDS can be seen from the data on the situation on the
development of HIV and AIDS and STIs in Indonesia in the third quarter of 2019, housewives were the

group with the most AIDS cases reported as of September 2019. According to the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) four-fifths (4/5) of cases of women infected with HIV and AIDS occur in a

marriage or long-term relationship with one partner. Based on data from the Ministry of Health, in the last
30 years, until December 2017, there were more than 14 thousand housewives infected with HIV/AIDS from

a total of more than 102 thousand people living with HIV. At the global level, more than half (52%) of the
nearly 38 million people living with HIV are women.
The increasing number of HIV and AIDS cases in women every year has become a topic of discussion in

informal forums as well as a topic in formal and scientific discussions. There are even many experts and
observers who have written in journals and in the form of books, as well as researchers who have

conducted research on HIV and AIDS on women from a certain point of view, especially with the Covid-19
pandemic, which will increase gender inequality in a society that contribute to women's vulnerability to

HIV.
The existence of gender inequality during the Covid-19 pandemic experienced by women was caused by

the increased burden on women during the pandemic, women's emotional instability, and domestic
violence. Dian Kartikasari, Chair of the Executive Board of the International NGO Forum on Indonesian
Development (INFID) and Secretary General of the Indonesian Women's Coalition (KPI) 2009-2020 stated

that the period of self-isolation had an effect on creating conflicts in the household. This happens because
many women are forced to isolate or "isolate" at home with perpetrators of violence.

Therefore, it is very important to carry out a literature review related to gender inequality in society that
contributes to women's vulnerability to HIV during the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, the novelty in this

research is that it was carried out under Covid-19 conditions, so the analysis is also based on current
conditions that occur in society, not an analysis of all people's lives as a whole. However, it only focuses on

gender inequalities in society that contribute to women's vulnerability to HIV that is happening in today's
society as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Covid 19, Vulnerability to HIV, Gender Inequality

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