We are all in the same boat! Using art and creative approaches with young people to tackle HIV-related stigma and discrimination

Stigma and discrimination constitute two of the most widespread barriers to effectively dealing with the HIV epidemic. Arts and creativity are widely recognised as an effective and innovative medium to prevent and reduce HIV stigma and discrimination, especially among young people.

One of UNESCO’s roles is the development of tools and materials that help decision makers, cultural actors, educators, social workers and facilitators involved in HIV and AIDS prevention and care to apply a culturally appropriate approach to their work. These approaches must be respectful of cultural diversity and must be tailored to the needs of different community groups.

UNESCO’s Culture and HIV and AIDS programme has developed a toolkit that uses arts and creativity to address HIV and AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in Southern Africa. The objective of the toolkit is to generate discussions by providing interactive exercises that facilitate learning and raise awareness on key issues concerning HIV and AIDS related stigma and discrimination through arts.

A needs assessment was conducted among communities in Zambia to generate recommendations for the toolkit. Findings emphasised the importance of understanding the role of socio-cultural issues in HIV and AIDS related stigma and discrimination.

The toolkit has been developed in partnership with the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and with the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation/Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development.

For additional information:
Itziar Gómez Carrasco
i.gomez-carrasco@unesco.org