The dust has barely just settled after last week’s remark by Minister for Women and Child Development Chowdhury urging women to buy condoms themselves because their husbands can’t be trusted. Ranjana Kumari’s main gripe is that Chowdhury to have more bark than bite, i.e. her plans are quite sensationalist and seem to have little promise for implementation–see my post referring to the infamous ‘cradle scheme’. (As an aside, I met Kumari, on Thursday evening because we will be working together on a project.)
Some activists see the comment as regressive and counter-productive, because programmes directed at men promoting condom usage have seen considerable success. I see nothing wrong in urging women to be proactive in their own protection against HIV/AIDS, and indeed the use of the female condom is on the rise here. I’m not sure a lot can be gained by demeaning or blaming men for their behaviour, though, because they might be less than won over. And at the end of the day, they’re the ones who have to wear the thing.
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