The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Women's Property Rights, HIV and AIDS & Domestic Violence: Research Findings from Two Districts in South Africa and Uganda

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Swaminathan H, Walker C, Rugadya MA. Women's Property Rights, HIV and AIDS & Domestic Violence: Research Findings from Two Districts in South Africa and Uganda. South Africa: HSRC Press; 2008.

OBJECTIVES: The importance of women’s property and inheritance rights (WPIR) is recognised in inter- national legal instruments and in a growing number of national laws. Yet in many developing countries, women do not have the right to own or inherit property. This issue goes beyond being a denial of basic human rights in the context of the AIDS epidemic, but also affects women’s ability to meet their most basic needs. Women are increasingly becoming household heads and therefore in critical need of land and property for economic security and basic survival. Further, lacking secure property rights deprives women of the bargain- ing power that could be a factor in diminishing their risk of contracting HIV that results from sexual violence and from experiencing other forms of violence.

METHODS: To better understand the role played by tenure security in protecting against, and mitigating the effects of, HIV and violence, the ICRW, HSRC, and AfD conducted research over a two- year period, beginning in 2005, that explored these linkages in Amajuba district, South Africa and Iganga district, Uganda. The current rates of HIV infection among the adult population in South Africa and Uganda are 20 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively. Amajuba is more urban (more than 56 per cent), while Iganga is predominantly rural, with only about 5 per cent of its population living in urban settlements. Qualitative research methods were applied across the two site countries to examine women’s experiences with land and property ownership, HIV and AIDS, and domestic violence. In-depth interviews were conducted with 60 women in each site.

FINDINGS: Overall, this study found that property ownership, while not easily linked to women’s ability to prevent HIV infection, can nonetheless mitigate the impact of AIDS, and can also enhance a woman’s ability to leave a violent situation.

ERT included paper – was not in the scan results