Government Announces Revision of HIV/AIDS Law to “Stop” Discrimination

The Government announced the revision of the Law on HIV/AIDS, aiming to “adapt it to the current context” and “respond to current complaints about discrimination”, especially in the workplace, with domestic workers among the main victims.

"This law has to be updated, revised according to the context, it has to be adequate to the current context and we would like that by the end of the year we will be able to get it passed in parliament," said the minister of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Woman, Faustina Alves.

According to the official, the current law on HIV/AIDS was approved in a "different context" and therefore "must be conformed to the current context in order to respond to some cases of discrimination that persist" in society.

"[The Government] always following this whole process of transformation, created this law to protect, prohibiting discrimination against carriers with the right to health, food, employment and others," stated the minister.

Faustina Alves, who was speaking at the end of a working meeting with the representative of the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA) in Angola, said that the revision of the law should also respond to the clamor of domestic workers.

A group of domestic workers with HIV/AIDS, under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Women (Masfamu), "complains of discrimination at work".

"And this is a law that is still not very well in place, especially for maids, because when many employers realize that the maid is HIV positive, they fire her even though they know that she often undergoes treatment," she said.

And "when they are fired", observed the head of Masfamu, "they are completely unable to work".

"We have a large group that we have been following, they are discriminated against, even though they have the right to work, and if they don't work, they have the problem of greater vulnerability," she added.

Technicians from Masfamu and the Ministry of Health "already work for some legal components that may be innovative according to the current context", added Faustina Alves.

Protection and combating domestic violence, maternal infant and newborn deaths and the project on sexual and reproductive health were the themes addressed at the meeting between Masfamu and UNFPA.