Today, March 1, is Zero Discrimination Day. The International Community of Women Living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA) marks this day with the rest of world. The day’s goal is line with our campaign calling for an end to sexual reproductive health rights violations, HIV criminalization of women and girls living with HIV.
This is because the struggle to end HIV&AIDS is still being hindered by stigma and discrimination so without deliberate efforts to end the vice, progress will not be made in the HIV response.
Discrimination is not only a violation of human rights, but negatively affects the uptake and retention to HIV prevention, care, and treatment.
At a number of health centers that offer services like giving out free mosquito nets to pregnant women, women living with HIV are often a priority. That is a good initiative until you learn about the manner in which they are given out.
In a hospital corridor in the maternal section of such health centers, you will hear a health worker announce on top of her voice, “If you are a woman living with HIV join this line so that you get a mosquito net. Those that are not HIV positive, go away, there are no nets for you.”
This announcement is usually followed by stares to see who joins the said line. Because of stigma, many women living with HIV that are not public about their status will walk away without the nets.
Women and girls living with HIV continue to experience discrimination which hinders the quality of our lives. Because of discrimination, women and girls living with HIV that are of reproductive age have been forced or coerced in sterilization like the ICWEA report found; http://www.icwea.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2015/11/ICWEA-Sexual-Reproductive-Health-Rights-Report-Uganda.pdf.
The current wave of HIV laws has also led to HIV crimination of people living with HIV and has fueled discrimination. These laws have breached confidentially of women living with HIV.
Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS, Executive Director said, “Stigma and discrimination damage people and fragment societies – people should never have to suffer in fear and darkness. In 2016, transform and stand for zero discrimination.”
The theme Transform and Stand Out for Zero Discrimination is an opportunity for everyone; stakeholders, governments, healthcare providers, and health workers to commit towards investing in interventions to appreciate everyone as they are and ensure zero discrimination for people living with HIV including women and girls living with HIV. ICWEA calls upon everyone to yield to this call.
Invest in interventions to end discrimination against women and girls living with HIV
