ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with Tadesse's description of patriarchal family systems as being 'guided by the principles of domination of old over young and male over female'. It explores the relations between acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the African state, and patriarchy. The chapter provides an examination of the ways patriarchy is expressed in the institutions and laws of African states. It examines how patriarchy and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS have combined to the detriment of the health and well-being of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa. The chapter also examines a possible new approach for addressing these patterns and their effects, namely the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS initiative and self-empowerment strategies that have been embraced by many AIDS activists and United Nations agencies. It returns to the opening theme of patriarchy and the African state by concluding with some ideas about the role of the state, and of actors influencing the state, in overcoming the HIV/AIDS crisis.
