in Togo

TRANSCRIPT:

PART 1: Discouraging multiple sexual relationships

My name is Manya Andrews. I am the country representative and I manage all of the operations of Population Services International in Togo. The Global Fund is the largest bunch of support for HIV prevention activities that this country has ever seen. And during the time that the Global Fund has been active in Togo the general HIV prevalence rate has dropped from 6% in 2002 to 3.2% in 2006. 80% of people say that they are very motivated to get tested for HIV. That is really unique. That is not the case in other countries in West Africa. 96% of people say that they know that it is easy for them to get a condom, that it’s easily available during the day. I really think that in Togo we are on the right track.

 Q. Is polygamy generally accepted in Togo?

Absolutely! It is not only culturally accepted it is also legal. When you get married you either choose to enter into a monogamous or a polygamous marriage…but in Togo it is expected of men to have many partners. So even if they have opted for a monogamous marriage, they still are really expected to be polygamous, because there is a belief that men are not monogamous by nature. It leads to difficulties promoting the prevention strategy of fidelity and faithfulness.

There is a real problem in Togo with this issue of older men having relationships with teenaged girls. The men have some social status that comes from going out with these pretty young girls. And the girls get some money and also social status from having an older boyfriend. Often we are talking about men who are between 35 and 55 and girls who can be as young as 15, 16 years old. This issue is very serious, because neither of the parties in these relationships really recognizes that there is a risk of HIV infection. The men think that the girls are too young to have any kind of sexual experience and so they don’t really use condoms with them. And girls think that these guys are pretty respectable, that they are married men, they have enough money, they look healthy and they don’t think about HIV being a problem. It is a major factor that is infecting Togolese youth, and particularly Togolese girls. So they decided to do a campaign that will try to create shame around these relationships. They did a billboard campaign that has an older man on it and it says: “What would you do if this man was sleeping with your daughter. So why are you sleeping with his daughter?”

And let me tell you: of all the different things they have done in this country, this campaign created a major controversy. I received calls from men who called anonymously, angry about this campaign saying that PSI was spoiling the market. That they did not know what this campaign was meaning to do, but every time they see it they feel ashamed, because it has been so controversial. 

However, it is interesting. When we do have opportunities to ask people: is it possible for a military man to be monogamous there are people who stand up and say: Yes it is possible and we allow people the opportunity to stand up and say, “Yes, it is possible, and I am monogamous”. Then it creates the beginnings of social pressure that is counter to the social pressure. Behavior is very influenced by what people around us are doing. We have had some wonderful comments from kids saying that they felt relieved to know that they are not alone and even just knowing that they are not alone, is something that helps them make that decision and stay firm to not have sex until they are a little bit older.

Q. Are wives and older women involved in this campaign?

Yes, women are involved in all of our activities. I would say the most concrete example I have is the military wives club. The women love the training. I would say the men are much transformed, but the women were also really transformed. That was very empowering for these women. In the past women’s way of dealing with this is saying “NO” to their husband: “Stop doing this. Stop putting our family at risk!” That is not the tactic that women are taking here. They think that that tactic is a little too radical. So the tactic that they are taking is: “Look, protect our family. Love us enough to protect us when you are having your sexual adventures.” So wives are opting to say to other women: “Look, if you find a condom in your husband’s pocket don’t freak out (be afraid or create chaos). Before he goes on a trip, give him condoms and encourage him to protect his family. Don’t close your eyes. Don’t pretend that this isn’t happening, or make him afraid to protect himself. Encourage him to protect himself. So they accept the infidelity as inevitable and they are trying to make sure, that at least the family is protected in those interactions.  

Photos courtesy of PSI