March 1 – Zero Discrimination Day

March 1 is the second Zero Discrimination Day, an annual worldwide event that promotes diversity and recognizes that everyone counts

Launched by UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé the Zero Discrimination Day not only aims to combat discrimination towards people with HIV/AIDS, it is also a call to people everywhere to promote and celebrate everyone’s right to live a full life with dignity – no matter what they look like, where they come from or whom they love. The symbol for Zero Discrimination is the butterfly, widely recognized as a sign of transformation.

"Whole communities suffer when discrimination goes unchallenged. Limiting the chances of girls and young women to get a proper education harms not only individual life chances but prevents societies benefiting from a deeper pool of talent. Discriminating against people on the basis of their race creates individual suffering and weakens social cohesion. Stigmatizing people living with HIV discourages people from getting teste and receiving life-saving health care and treatment. " (Excerpt from UNAIDS website)

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