End HIV Related Stigma and Discrimination among Women and Girls living with HIV – so as to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic by 2030
International Community of Women Living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA) joins the rest of the World to commemorate The International Candlelight Memorial Day under the theme: Ending HIV Stigma and Discrimination for women and Girls living with HIV: A Our Collective Responsibility.
HIV related stigma & discrimination are global public health threats and despite their devastating effects (especially among women and girls living with HIV and other KVPs), they often remain at the bottom of the priority list in HIV programming. There are many factors that contribute to HIV related stigma and discrimination among people living with HIV. Most of these factors reflect people’s ignorance of the basic facts about HIV and the fears that they have about PLHIV. Stigma and discrimination hampers use of healthcare services, as well as uptake and adherence to life-saving Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) PLHIV. Some countries continue to record escalating statistics of women and girls with low viral load suppression (at 45% among AGYW – which is below the 90% Global UNAIDS target in Eastern Africa partly due to the stigma and discrimination. This is further accelerated due to fear of social rejection and exclusion among women and girls living with HIV.
Women and girls often fear stigma and rejection from their families not only because they stand to lose their social place of belonging, but also because they could lose their housing, children, and ability to survive. The effects of stigma and discrimination were worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic with the subsequent lockdown that led to women and girl involuntarily disclosing their sero status to family members, local leaders (who were mandated to give travel permissions) and partners. Women and girls across the Eastern Africa region are reported to have faced the repercussions that included loss of relationships, physical violence, and rejection, while others opted to get off treatment.
ICWEA carried out a survey targeting women living with HIV in Eastern Africa to get their experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown and how it impacted on their lives. It is important to note that 13.7% of the respondents reported to have experienced violence during COVID-19 lockdown, while 33.3% knew someone who had experienced any kind of violence during the lockdown. 53.7% of those who experienced GBV were not able to seek or get support and only 30% got assistance http://www.icwea.org/report-on-the-survey-of-experiences-of-women-living-with-hiv-during-c-19-may-june-2020/ and https://www.icwea.org/icwea-takes-awdf-vawg-covid-19-campaign-regional/
The legal and social-cultural environment condemns and criminalizes the SRH choices for people living with HIV and KVPs in a manner that fuels stigma and discrimination and negatively affects access to HIV/TB services. In some countries like Uganda, the current laws and policies increase stigma against people living with HIV or other groups at risk of acquiring HIV including women and girls, and women key populations. Laws that make it illegal to transmit HIV to others are also more likely to affect women and girls since they are more likely to learn their status through prenatal testing. Women and girls living with HIV have been unfairly punished, and some are rotting in jail currently because of their HIV status and yet all efforts that have been made to repel such laws by CSOs are still fruitless.
Women and girls living with HIV are stigmatized and discriminated at community. workplaces, health facilities, schools and even at homes. Rejection and ignorance are some of the negative effects of stigma and discrimination that show up in the lives of women and girls. They can show up in the workplace (not getting hired because of your HIV status, or not applying for a job because of the sero status). Some records show that young women living with from the East African region who seek foreign employment opportunities cannot be employed because of their HIV status clearly shows the level of stigma and discrimination. As this openly happens, no government within in the region has ever challenged this policy by the recruiting companies.
Through ICWEA’s works in the region (including CLM and GF NFM3), there is indications of high levels of lost-to-follow-up clients and one of the reasons being stigma and discrimination that comes with knowing one’s sero status, coupled with limited counseling and support at the HIV clinics especially in public health facilities. This is not acceptable especially for pregnant mothers living with HIV. No woman should give birth to a child infected with HIV in this era and time.
ICWEA believes in fostering an environment where women and girls living with HIV are free from stigma and discrimination in all forms. The UNAIDS 10-10-10 targets require focus on removal of legal and other societal barriers that limit access to and utilization of HIV services.
Our call to action
- Government should create an enabling environment including repealing of laws and policies that criminalize HIV to combat the inequalities they bring and defend human rights of PLHIV
- Governments should increase on HIV education and sensitization in education institutions to create an environment that will enable young people access services and adhere to treatment.
- Scale up HIV counseling and support services in public health facilities.
- Disseminate and functionalize the National Policy Guidelines on ending HIV related stigma and discrimination.
- End all forms of stigma and discrimination which lead to GBV and violation of human rights of women and girls living with HIV to end the HIV pandemic by 2030
