Within elementary school and in higher education levels in Zambia there exist great challenges that are partly caused by the HIV/Aids epidemic. The epidemic has an influence on the number of teachers available, qualified working personnel and the quality of the teaching presented. At the same time, students are situated in the age group where the risk of contamination is especially high, and student life makes out a social space where the risk of being infected might increase.

The program especially focuses on women’s situation and rights, and how the gender role pattern is part of influencing women’s risk of getting infected. Women are more prone to the HIV-infection than men. This is particularly because gender roles and cultural norms in many incidences limit women’s options to control their own bodies and to make their own decisions, as well as biological factors. Amongst HIV-infected people in the age between 15 to 49 years, women make up 59 percent. SAIH views students as important agents of change, and recognize that the leaders of the future are the ones who are studying today. In countries with a high number of HIV/Aids-infected people, it is crucial that students and young people can make conscious choices and make changes in relation to their own life situation.

In Zambia women have poorer access to education than men, and the general amount of female students at Universities is around 27 percent.  In this sense University of Zambia (UNZA) stands out, with more than 50 percent female attendees. Contrary to other Southern African countries, in Zambia there has not existed an organization that only focuses on HIV/Aids in a broader juridical context. To avoid discrimination and to fight stigma it is important that the juridical rights for HIV/Aids-infected people are upheld, which is why SAIHs partner Zaran is actively involved in changing the Zambian jurisdiction in relation to HIV-positive peoples’ rights. Additionally, their free juridical assistance has helped many who have been victims of discrimination, and who otherwise had not known their rights or been able to do anything about the injustice done to them.