The Role of Women in Community Movement to Build Awareness on HIV-AIDS

Abstract

It is not easy to discuss about AIDS because it is related to sensitive issues such as sex, homosexuality or deviant sexual behaviour. Then, there is miss-conception, excessive fear and judgment. AIDS sufferers also get discrimination and shunned by society. Local residents Care for AIDS (WPA) is a form of community participation to respond to HIV-AIDS in Indonesia. Women are the most active community group in the WPA community movement. They are exist to build awareness of AIDS epidemic and encourage solidarity to help its sufferers. This movement forms a community that has the readiness, ability and willingness to participate in preventing and overcoming the problems posed by HIV-AIDS. The study was conducted at 4 (four) Districts in the City of Bandung, Indonesia. The results of this study show the transformation of citizens into community movements from housewives into activism of AIDS, communication competency that that is the ability to interact with community members in dealing with HIV-AIDS, and communication model for building the awareness of HIV-AIDS amongst community members.