The key to changing the social conditions of indigenous women in Africa is giving them an education, said Lucy Mulenkei, director of the Indigenous Information Network.

Mulenkei spoke at the Panel of African Indigenous Women discussion held Wednesday night in the Memorial Union.

Three panelists discussed issues pertaining to African women, including HIV/AIDS, protection of biodiversity, domestic abuse and basic human rights.

“We deal with issues that pertain to women, which is all issues,” said panelist Vivian Stromberg, executive director for international women’s rights group MADRE.

Mulenkei said women are hit especially hard because of a lack of education and the strong grip of tradition.

“Women carry the heaviest load,” she said. “They get up at 3 a.m. and work until 11 p.m. They get no rest. They go far away for water – up to 10 kilometers – and are responsible for food, fire and livestock.”

She also said, “With education, they are able to say no when it is no, and yes when it is yes.”

When the Indigenous Information Network enters a community, the first thing the members do is encourage the women to start their own organization so they can work together.

This is to help the women continue the struggle even after the group leaves, Mulenkei said.

The members then listen to the women to see what they need and what their priorities are and attempt to address them.

“Right now, our key issue is HIV/AIDS,” Mulenkei said. “We are very concerned about the spread.”

Many African women living in small villages don’t understand how HIV/AIDS is transmitted, she said.

The common misconception is that the disease comes from towns, not villages, so people can only contract it through contact with village outsiders.

The problem is lack of awareness – most women don’t own a radio, and the one television station most receive does not address the issue, she said.

The third panelist, Rebecca Lolosoli, is the founder of the Umoja Uaso Women’s Group.

Lolosoli spoke about “indigenous women creating strategies for sustainable development, both in their communities and beyond,” according to the handout given at the lecture.

Her comments came after press deadline.