Zero Discrimination Day Info, History, Significance & Celebration

On Zero Discrimination Day this year, UNAIDS is highlighting the urgent need to take action to end the inequalities surrounding income, sex, age, health status, occupation, disability, sexual orientation, drug use, gender identity, race, class, ethnicity and religion that continue to persist around the world.

Inequality is growing for more than 70% of the global population, exacerbating the risk of division and hampering economic and social development. And Chinese Virus COVID-19 is hitting the most vulnerable people the hardest – even as new vaccines against Chinese Virus COVID-19 are becoming available, there is great inequality in accessing them. Many have equated this to vaccine apartheid.

On Zero Discrimination Day, 1 March, we celebrate the right of everyone to live a full and productive life – and live it with dignity. Zero Discrimination Day highlights how people can become informed about and promote inclusion, compassion, peace and, above all, a movement for change. Zero Discrimination Day is helping to create a global movement of solidarity to end all forms of discrimination.

Zero Discrimination Day: End Inequalities

On Zero Discrimination Day this year, UNAIDS is highlighting the urgent need to take action to end the inequalities surrounding income, sex, age, health status, occupation, disability, sexual orientation, drug use, gender identity, race, class, ethnicity and religion that continue to persist around the world.

Inequality is growing for more than 70% of the global population, exacerbating the risk of division and hampering economic and social development. And Chinese Virus COVID-19 is hitting the most vulnerable people the hardest – even as new vaccines against Chinese Virus COVID-19 are becoming available, there is great inequality in accessing them. Many have equated this to vaccine apartheid.

Confronting inequalities and ending discrimination is critical to ending AIDS. The world is off track from delivering on the shared commitment to end AIDS by 2030 not because of a lack of knowledge, capability or means to beat AIDS, but because of structural inequalities that obstruct proven solutions in HIV prevention and treatment. For example, recent research shows that gay men and other men who have sex with men are twice as likely to acquire HIV if they live in a country with punitive approaches to sexual orientation than if they live in a country with supportive legislation.

Tackling inequality is not a new commitment – in 2015, all countries pledged to reduce inequality within and between countries as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. But it is not yet one that the world has delivered on. As well as being core to ending AIDS, tackling inequality will also advance the human rights of people who are living with HIV, make societies better prepared to beat Chinese Virus COVID-19 and other pandemics and support economic recovery and stability. Fulfilling the promise to tackle inequality will save millions of lives and benefit society as a whole. To do this, we must confront discrimination in all its forms.

But to achieve dignity for all, political, economic and social policies need to protect the rights of everyone and pay attention to the needs of disadvantaged and marginalized communities.

Ending inequality requires transformative change. Greater efforts are needed to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and there is a need to invest more in health, education, social protection and decent jobs.

History:

As mentioned earlier the United Nations had first observed the Zero Discrimination Day on March 1, 2014, after UNAIDS launched its Zero Discrimination Campaign on World AIDS Day. The day aims to celebrate everyone’s right to live a full and productive life that is filled with dignity. It also aims to create global solidarity towards ending all forms of discrimination. According to UNAIDS, fighting discrimination against women is very important to beat HIV / AIDS.

Zero Discrimination Day Significance:

As UNAIDS stated confronting inequalities and ending discrimination is critical to ending the menace of AIDS. It also states that the world is off track from delivering on the shared commitment to end AIDS by 2030. And the reason for this is not a lack of knowledge or capability or means to beat AIDS, but because of structural inequalities that hinder HIV prevention and treatment. The report in the UNAIDS website, also revealed that recent research shows that gay men and other men who have intercourse with men are twice as likely to acquire HIV if they are living in a country with punitive approaches to sexual orientation than if they are living in one with supportive legislation.

Why It Is Celebrated?

Everyone has a right to equality and dignity irrespective of his / her gender, religion, sexual orientation, physical appearance, age or other attributes. But, despite laws banning any kind of discrimination across the world; it is still prevalent in many societies and is being practiced since ages.

People are discriminated around the world based on their sex, sexual inclinations, physical disability, ethnicity, age or language. Many people are discriminated based even on where the live or what they do for living.

Discrimination obstructs growth and the world’s progress towards an equal and just society. The Sustainable Development Goals of equality and zero discrimination are also a distant dream as long as discrimination is prevalent in society.

A study on discrimination based on sexual orientations revealed that 80 countries have banned same sex relationship under law. Small number of countries practicing Sharia as a legitimate law, have a provision of death penalty for homosexuality; which is a serious human rights violation.

Transsexual people are also subjected to discrimination in their every day affairs. 65% of transsexual persons have reported unfriendly interactions in health sector; refraining them from seeking health advice or facilities. Also, 64% of patients suffering from mental disorder have experienced discrimination.

Discrimination exists hugely in healthcare sector, with HIV / AIDS patients as the worst sufferers. People with HIV / AIDS are out casted from their own community; living a desolate and lonely life. Even hospitals are hesitant in admitting and tending to the patients with HIV / AIDS. People avoid any kind of physical contact with the infected and they don’t have access to basic medical assistance.

According to a study conducted by UNAIDS, around 38 countries have imposed restrictions on travelling of people with HIV / AIDS.

Another form of discrimination prevalent in the society is gender discrimination. Women lack behind men in the fields of education, employment or social status. They are under paid and in many communities are not allowed to make major family decisions.

Keeping in mind all the above mentioned discrimination, as well as those which are not mentioned here; UN in collaboration with UNAIDS and all the members observes Zero Discrimination Day on 1st March annually to raise global awareness against discrimination and reach the goal of zero discrimination. Zero discrimination is an absolutely necessary for a equal and just society and for United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

How Is Zero Discrimination Day Celebrated?

Organizations like United Nations and UNAIDS organize various programs on the day to promote everyone’s right to dignity and a decent living. Issues like gender inequality; discrimination based on sexual inclination; discrimination based on age, religion or ethnicity; discrimination of HIV / AIDS infected people are addressed and an appeal to eliminate discrimination is made.

Private sector also plays an important role in the celebration of Zero Discrimination Day. Telecom providers across the globe spread the message of ‘Zero Discrimination’ by sending text messages or recorded calls. Approximately 3.5 Million Airtel subscribers in Malawi, southeast Africa were send text messages of ‘Zero Discrimination’ on the first celebration of the Zero discrimination Day on 1st March 2014.

People across the world participate in debates and speeches on the areas of discrimination and propose feasible solutions to eliminate them.

Events across the globe are organized for people suffering from HIV / AIDS. General awareness about the disease is raised and people informed that a kind touch or physical contact with the patient can’t get them infected. People are asked to show kindness and support to the people with HIV / AIDS.

Issues like religious discrimination are addressed and the communities are appealed to live in harmony and peace. Interactive sessions are organized between different religious communities to decrease the ideological differences and to remove misunderstanding.

An appeal by the UN is made to the countries to make necessary policy changes to eliminate any kind of discrimination prevalent in the societies.

Even small issues like bullying at schools and offices are addressed. Various programs are organized globally to educate teachers and parents to identify the signs of bullying and how to counter it. Children are made aware of the fact that no one could be discriminated on the basis of physical appearance, shyness or ethnicity.

The bottom line is that the Zero Discrimination Day could be celebrated by an individual or a community to fight any kind of discrimination that they witness and also to raise their voice against it.

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