HEALTH: That Special Winner in a Contest of One

Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW, Dec 5 2005 (IPS) – Svetlana Izambayeva won a beauty contest in Moscow last week. She was the only one who had turned up to participate, but it is not this that made her a winner like no other.
It was a beauty contest organised for women who are HIV positive or who have AIDS.

It may seem an absurd idea, and some may even call it mockery, but why not hold a contest for HIV-infected women? Russian chief public health official Gennady Onishchenko said at a press conference before the start of the event.

We are trying to change the public s attitude with this minor action, he said. Why can t these people live like others do? They can, and must, the same as people with type B hepatitis and other diseases.

The beauty contest sought to promote openness and an active lifestyle for HIV positive women, and for tolerance for people with HIV.

A unique idea, though it did not quite work as expected.
Participation was sought over the Internet in November. Three women were chosen for the awards ceremony, but only Svetlana turned up.

At first, it was difficult to make up my mind to participate in the contest, Svetlana said at the awards ceremony. But then I realised that my willingness to speak openly to the world around me could help thousands of people come to terms with their own fears. I understand so well that the fight against HIV/AIDS should not turn into a fight against people living with HIV.

It was amidst much applause that Svetlana was crowned Miss Positive 2005 .

The AIDS message continues through other innovative means as Russia confronts the fact that it is up against a pandemic. The beauty contest was set up in tandem with performances of The Vagina Monologues , an evolving theatrical performance on the world as seen by women.

Eve Ensler s The Vagina Monologues has become a social phenomenon from its first performances in the United States and Europe, and later in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Ensler aims to draw attention to problems ranging from women s rights to hunger and epidemics.

The artist cannot run away from social problems, said Joel Lehtonen, director of The Vagina Monologues .

It is not only important to show the contradictory and tragic nature of the world we live in, but also to instill the hope that we have the power to change it. That is why I am so pleased that we have the great honour of presenting the winner of the Miss Positive contest, a brave statement that puts hope in the hearts of thousands of people, Lehtonnen said.

The messages took stage under an extended cultural programme organised by the Community of People Living With AIDS/HIV (PLWA) supported by the AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW) and the Russian government.

The organisers said they were driven by the rising number of infected people, and by the administration s new efforts to check spread of the disease.

On the back of the cultural events officials delivered stern warnings on negative attitudes, promiscuity and prostitution among Russia s population of 143 million.

The number of people infected with HIV has been rising steadily. About 80 percent of those infected are aged 15 to 30. About 100 people become infected daily, Onishchenko said.

The incidence of HIV infections has nearly doubled in the past five years, from 121 per 100,000 people in 2001 to 231 towards the end of this year.

More than 336,000 HIV infections were reported between 1987 and Nov. 15 this year. The United Nations Agency for AIDS/HIV (UNAIDS) has reported that Russia now has the highest rate of new cases in Eastern Europe.

Onishchenko said that allocation of more than 170 million dollars for AIDS prevention and treatment next year would fundamentally change the nature of Russia s battle against the disease.

The government is stepping up efforts to get all programmes off the ground to fight the disease, deputy chairman of the state Duma (parliament) security committee Mikhail Gishankov told IPS.

We have to rededicate our efforts to promote safe sex behaviour and to promote social values among the people by embarking on effective use of state administrative resources and state electronic media, as well as through culture, he said.

Choosing theatre and a beauty pageant signifies a major shift from the traditional approach, and a concrete step forward in the campaign against the disease.