This article is bared on research investigating the socio-economic imp
act of AIDS on poor urban households in Kitwe, Zambia. It is argued th
at within the household, AIDS affects women disproportionately. Women
have to care for the ill and devise survival strategies when household
income falls and living standards deteriorate. AIDS also has a number
of other gender dimensions which are linked to women's limited access
to resources and their subordinate social and economic status. Taking
into account the pressures of economic crisis and structural adjustme
nt programmes, the Paper asks whether home-based AIDS care threatens t
o overload the coping capabilities of women. The article argues that e
ffective AIDS control and prevention requires a broad-based approach a
imed at women's empowerment and economic independence.