Within the context of social, political, and economic inequality, South Africa is extreme.

... Within the context of social, political, and economic inequality, South Africa is extreme. It is also the only country in the world where racial discrimination is enshrined in the constitution and this has impacted enormously on the health of Africans, and in particular African women.1 Gender inequality, poverty, violence and low social status have continued to undermine women's health in South Africa's strongly patriarchal society. These social realities have led to a proliferation of health related problems, the most serious of which is the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Given women's critical roles as mothers, food producers and income earners, the social, economic, and political systems within South Africa's highly stratified society have figured predominately on their well-being and that of their children. Therefore, any health related discourse in South Africa must take place within a political and socioeconomic context. The objective of this paper is to first provide a brief historical analogy

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