Abstract
AbstractIn this chapter, I introduce the topic. I show how I became aware of a widespread misconception in the NGO sector and beyond into the world of international donors that so-called ‘harmful cultural practices’ were the main driver of the AIDS epidemic in Malawi. Biomedical evidence shows that ‘harmful cultural practices’ are not the main contributors to the AIDS epidemic. So what is interesting is why so many educated Malawians working in the AIDS sector told me about the practices, not the villagers, and blamed them for the spread of AIDS. I show that the epistemic community in Malawi (epistemic community includes international donors working on HIV and AIDS as well as the Malawian elite) are reframing both sexual cultural practices and women’s rights’ concepts in the context of what is widely considered an emergency, the AIDS epidemic. I argue that a complex interplay of interests has led to the construction of the narrative that the sexual cultural practice of fisi contributes significantly to the spread of AIDS. I argue this complexity can be best understood through three sets of arguments.
Highlights
In the mid-1980s, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) began to flow into poor countries to help them improve their lives and livelihoods
In the period 1985– 1989 there were 16 registered NGOs; in 2001–2005 there were 196 NGOs, half of them focused on HIV prevention (Morfit 2011)
NGOs typically focused on implementing programmes that would improve health and agriculture
Summary
In the mid-1980s, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) began to flow into poor countries to help them improve their lives and livelihoods. I show that the epistemic community in Malawi (epistemic community includes international donors working on HIV and AIDS as well as the Malawian elite) are reframing both sexual cultural practices and women’s rights concepts in the context of what is widely considered an emergency, the AIDS epidemic.
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