Marking International Women's Day yesterday, the UN Secretary-General has issued a call for men to "assume the responsibilities" to reduce the "terrifying pattern" of HIV/Aids infection among the world's women.

Kofi Annan said that men should assume certain responsibilities – help to educate children, abstain from sexual behaviour that puts others at risk, forgo relations with girls and very young women, and understand that there are no excuses for violence against women.

Mr Annan urged men to follow the 'ABC' approach - abstain, be faithful, use a condom.

Women were experiencing deepening poverty and they would become the majority of the world's people infected with HIV/Aids if the current rates of infection continued, Mr Annan said.

"Why, then, are women more vulnerable to infection - even though they are usually not the ones with the most sexual partners outside marriage, nor are they more likely more likely than men to be injecting drug users? Usually, because society's inequalities puts them at risk - unjust, unconscionable and untenable risk," he said.

Addressing a special panel discussion at UN Headquarters in New York, he said the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, launched last month, would work out specific steps to improve the daily lives of women and girls and build on the role that women already play in the fight against the disease.

(gmcg)