The global HIV/AIDS epidemic cannot be understood without considering male and female roles in society, a complex topic. To fight the epidemic successfully it is necessary to tackle the persistent challenges of gender-based violence, discrimination, and unequal access to resources. In short, serious attention to HIV/AIDS, and to the eventual success of global HIV/AIDS programs, requires a focus on gender inequality-defined in this report as differences in the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities provided for women and for men.