Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Gender Perspectives in East Africa

This book is a result of a ground breaking research
conducted in Oromiya, Ethiopia to understand the
socio-cultural underpinnings of the salient cultural
practices feared to fuel the spread of HIV epidemic
and affect sexual and reproductive health among the
world''s most studied pastoralist community.
The Oromo people in East Africa are one of the three
largest ethno-national groups and possess a unique
and more than five century old indigenous African
Democracy-the Gada System. The author''s research on
RH, HIV/AIDS and Gender perspectives was preceded by
an award winning research to explore the roles of
traditional Oromo leaders in the fight against
HIV/AIDS, promotion of RH and Gender empowerments.
Understanding the sexual and reproductive health
philosophies that necessitated the existence of
practices such as polygamy, widow inheritance and
culturally tolerated extramarital sexual partnership
would greatly contribute to the endeavors of all
stakeholders and actors working to tackle HIV, RH
and Gender related problems in similar pastoralist
communities such as the Somali & Afar people.