• What challenges do young people with HIV face at the workplace and in finding job opportunities?
• What special local, national and international interventions apply in your cases?
• Any organisational and personal experiences to share?
Discussion
General Group In this forum, the situation of young people living with HIV has been raised several times. We would like to invite you to share your experience and knowledge on this important topic.
In this forum, the situation of young people living with HIV has been raised several times. We would like to invite you to share your experience and knowledge on this important topic.
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In Kenya, like many other countries, stigma and discrimination against individuals living with HIV remains a significant challenge. Despite significant progress in reducing the number of new infections and improving access to treatment, the stigma associated with HIV remains a significant barrier to achieving the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. This has particularly affected the ability of young people from vulnerable and marginalized communities to access decent work opportunities.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the prevalence of HIV in Kenya stands at 4.9%, with young people aged 15-24 being the most affected. This highlights the urgent need for a concerted effort to address stigma and discrimination towards individuals living with HIV in the workplace, to ensure that young people living with HIV have access to decent work opportunities.
One organization that has taken a lead in addressing HIV stigma and discrimination in the workplace is the National AIDS and STI Control Program (NASCOP), which is a division of the Ministry of Health responsible for coordinating the national response to HIV and STIs in Kenya. NASCOP has developed a workplace policy that aims to promote non-discrimination, confidentiality, and respect for human rights of people living with HIV. The policy also provides guidelines for addressing HIV-related issues in the workplace, including HIV testing and counseling, workplace accommodations, and access to treatment.
Another organization that has been at the forefront of addressing stigma and discrimination in the workplace is the Kenya Business Coalition Against HIV/AIDS (KBC). KBC is a private sector-led coalition that brings together companies, government, and civil society organizations to promote workplace interventions to address HIV/AIDS. KBC has developed a workplace HIV/AIDS policy and toolkit that provides guidelines for companies to develop their own HIV/AIDS workplace policies and programs. The toolkit includes training materials for managers and supervisors, as well as posters and brochures to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and reduce stigma in the workplace.
In addition to these organizations, the Kenya Network of Women with AIDS (KENWA) has been working to address stigma and discrimination towards women living with HIV in the workplace. KENWA provides training and psychosocial support to women living with HIV, and advocates for policies and programs that promote their rights and well-being in the workplace.
One of the best practices in addressing HIV stigma and discrimination in the workplace is the use of employee resource groups (ERGs) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups that provide a platform for employees to connect, share experiences, and advocate for issues that affect their well-being. DEI initiatives, on the other hand, are organizational strategies that aim to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. These initiatives can include training and awareness-raising programs, mentorship and leadership development programs, and policies and practices that promote non-discrimination and inclusivity.
In conclusion, addressing HIV stigma and discrimination in the workplace is crucial for achieving the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets and promoting the well-being of individuals living with HIV, particularly young people from vulnerable and marginalized communities. The organizations mentioned above, as well as other stakeholders can play a critical role in promoting workplace policies and programs that reduce stigma and discrimination towards individuals living with HIV. By using best practices such as ERGs and DEI initiatives, organizations can create safe spaces for support and psychosocial support, and promote a more inclusive and equitable workplace culture.
I find the employee resource groups (ERGs) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to be very impressive interventions. It would be good to also learn from their practical experiences
These are realy helpful statistics. Thanks for sharing the details. I hope this global pandemic of HIV and AIDS can be brought under control.
The most devastating are legal barriers, as well as discrimination and stigma in society against the HIV positive young people
Do you have examples of these legal barriers @Ali Raza Khan ? Perhaps you can add more to your point and suggest what should be done?
The most damaging is the criminalisiation of people living with HIV and affected by HIV that makes it difficult for them to live openly and access facilities.
This issue is very personal to me. I am a young man aged 23. My story is that I was born HIV positive and I grew up under difficult circumstances of discrimination. In 2019, I missed an opportunity to further my studies because of my status. I was expected to get a scholarship to study in one country, but when the person who was facilitating this realised that I was positive, he dropped me from the offer arguing that the country would not accept me on the basis of my status.
So the main thing that we are facing as young people living with HIV either at our workplace or even in finding jobs is STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION
This one is the most dangerous thing which leads many young people into problems. Some of us will
*end up not adhering to our medication
*developing self-doubt - the belief that you will never overcome your illness or be able to achieve what you want in life
*fewer opportunities for employment.
*we get stressed and end up committing suicide
*we end u engaging in drug and substance abuse
*having feelings of shame, hopelessness and isolation.
*low self esteem
Just only mention few.
I have discovered that the main solution is to speak up. I have leant to speak up when I hear people around me make negative or wrong comments about HIV possitive people.
In my country many young people living with HIV want to isolate themselves from the world. However, reaching out to people you trust helps - family, friends, coaches or religious leaders or even engaging support groups such Zvandiri AfricAid available in Zimbabwe.
It is always good to know that *You are not your illness. Do not define yourself by your illness as other people might define you
@Talent, I find these solutions to be very good for one's social being. You talked about discrimination from employment and education opportunities. How do you think the mindset of employers may change?. Your very sad experience appears to consider a country with discriminatory policies. How can this change ?
@Talent Chiweya I'm impressed by your story of strugle for this disease. Stay strong and more power to you.
@Didymus Zengenene - I think as employers they must educate /train their work managers on HIV to promote social norms related to HIV. They may also have regular conversations about health and well-being with their workers. The right training can provide managers with the capability and the confidence to support their workers around Health and HIV
They may also offer appropriate workplace adjustments to workers experiencing health issues. These should be determined in consultation with individual workers who require such support. Often quick and easy adjustments can be made that will help workers manage their health and improve their productivity while feeling accepted.
Health awareness and available information, tools and support can foster better understanding around HIV and build trust and tolerance between colleagues.
Encourage open conversations about HIV and support services provided by the management team on a regular basis particularly during the recruitment process and at times when workers may be struggling. Talk about the services available and encourage people to use them when they need.
There are many challenges that young people face in work places. There is discrimination when people realise that you are HIV positive and they shun away from socialising with you.
If you get sick and you are given off sick days some employers will start counting the number of days that you miss work per month or per year and they will say one is unproductive.
Some employees talk about your problems and even give you names.
Employers must be aware that we must treat all employees equally and not discriminate them because of their problems. An awareness campaign is needed to address this issue by health personnel.
Thats is a reality @Rosemary Maturure . Even some places have mandatory HIV status testing with mandatory disclosure. Such situations can be very hectic and disturbing for HIV positive people.
Legal challenges faced by people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) can vary by country and region. Here are some common legal challenges faced by PLWHA related to employment:
Discrimination in hiring: PLWHA may face discrimination in the hiring process, and may be denied employment opportunities due to their HIV status.
Disclosure of HIV status: PLWHA may be required to disclose their HIV status to their employer, which can result in stigmatization and discrimination.
Employment-related medical testing: Some countries require mandatory HIV testing as a condition of employment, which can lead to discrimination against PLWHA.
Limited access to benefits: PLWHA may not have access to employment benefits such as health insurance, sick leave, and disability benefits due to their HIV status.
Workplace harassment: PLWHA may experience harassment and bullying in the workplace, which can lead to stress, anxiety, and a hostile work environment.
Restrictions on travel: Some countries may impose travel restrictions on PLWHA, which can limit their employment opportunities and ability to attend conferences and meetings.
Lack of legal protections: In some countries, there may be limited legal protections against discrimination and harassment based on HIV status.
To address these legal challenges, it is important to advocate for policies and laws that protect the rights of PLWHA in the workplace. This includes advocating for anti-discrimination laws, promoting HIV awareness and education, and increasing access to employment benefits and resources for PLWHA. It is also important to provide legal support and advocacy for PLWHA who experience discrimination or harassment in the workplace.
Youth people living with HIV in my country Comoros are faced with a great challenge such as discrimination, marginalisation, bias, Gender violence and community exclusion. In work places while this weakness is observe these youth are intimidated and excluded in community activities due to their status.
To our knowledge, no documented systematic literature review of challenges and support among YLWHA in (school) communities has been undertaken in East Africa to synthesize this vital evidence and to inform the design and implementation of interventions tailor-made for the East African populace and context. This could relate to why most HIV/AIDS-related interventions for youth in this region such as the Presidential Initiative on AIDS Strategy for Communication to Youths (PIASCY) programs in Uganda and other abstinence, being faithful, and condom use (ABC) strategies in the whole region have a preventive agenda and do not cater for the QoL of those youths already infected with HIV/AIDS. Subsequently, this review has been undertaken to pool evidence from independent studies carried out in East Africa, to have a broader, substantiated, and contextually sensitive perspective on challenges and support available for YLWHA.
You brought up an important point here. I'm only imagining that interventions aimed at prevention have a specific tone, and that tone may not be socially and morally sensitive to someone who is already in the circumstance, nor can it build social acceptability of the affected individual. It would be fascinating to learn how most interventions are packaged and to what extent they help the affected especially those born +ve.
Malgré les décennies de multiples initiatives engagées par l'ensemble des parties prenantes à la lutte contre la pandémie du SIDA, les seropositifs de tout genre et de tout âges font l'objet de discrimination en Afrique au sud du Sahara. Ce phénomène est dû au fait des toutes premières mode de transmission (sexuelle) qui a été découverte et qui a été aussi le plus vulgariser. Ainsi il y'a toujours du travail à faire surtout en milieu jeune mais à tous les niveaux afin que nul ne soit discriminer à cause de son statut encore moins les jeunes qui constituent les bras valides.