Nine men sack wives

There is a disturbing trend unfolding in the wake of the HIV/AIDS pandemic; nine women diagnosed as HIV/AIDS positive, have been driven from their matrimonial homes by their husbands and left to their fate. Not only did these men drive their partners from home, but they also caused them a lot of pain and embarrassment by making public their medical reports.

According to the Executive Director of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ms Gloria Ofori Boadu, this incidence is becoming so alarming that if the current trend does not change, the victims of this phenomenon would be badly shattered and dejected.

Ms Ofori-Boadu, in an interview, said at the moment a number of cases have been reported to FIDA over the raw deal meted out to women with HIV/AIDS by the husbands or family members. She said in one instance, a health inspector neglected his wife when she was diagnosed as having been infected with the virus.

The man according to Ms Ofori-Boadu is refusing to maintain their only child. In another case a young man sent his HIV positive wife to his mother-in-law and refused to allow the wife to see her two children ages five and seven years. He neglected the women who died later.

The mother of the deceased woman reported the man to FIDA to intervene so she could take custody of the two grandchildren, since the man has no job and a stable family life and the children were being tossed from one foster home to the other.

Ms Ofori-Boadu said that based on the report and after failure to arrive at an amicable settlement with the father of the children, FIDA went to court and got an order for the grandmother to take custody of the children. However, the whereabouts of the children is not known.

She also mentioned the case of a soldier whose wife lost her baby during delivery. It was later detected that the baby died of HIV infection. The soldier, according to Ms Ofori-Boadu, seized the other child and sacked the woman, accusing her of being an HIV victim.

One of the cases involved a couple from Italy. According to Ms Ofori-Boadu, they brought down his wife from Italy claiming he had nothing to do with the woman since she had the HIV virus. She said the man claimed he had nothing to do with woman anymore and therefore seized her passport and accused her of being a prostitute. He also refuses to maintain their only child.

The woman report the case to FIDA alleging that the man infringed on her rights, and therefore sought FIDA, s assistance for redress.

She said in all the instances, the men claimed they were clean and did not have the virus even though they had no medical evidence to support their claims. Ms Ofori Boadu said the most depressing aspect of these developments is that the AIDS orphans who are left behind suffer since they have no one to take care of them. The responsibility therefore falls on their grandmothers.