Zero Discrimination Day 2016

01.03.2016 - On Zero Discrimination Day 2016, celebrate individuality and stand out. Embrace the diversity that exists around us, understand and accept people’s differences, open minds and respect and support one another.

Each person has a diverse set of talents and skills that can enrich societies and strengthen communities. Welcoming and embracing diversity in all its forms reinforces social cohesion and brings valuable benefits. Zero Discrimination Day is an opportunity to join together against discrimination and celebrate everyone’s right to live a full and productive life with dignity.

Gender, nationality, age, disability, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religion, language or any other status should never be a reason to discriminate. By joining hearts and voices, individuals, communities and societies can transform the world. Zero Discrimination Day is an opportunity to highlight how everyone can be part of the transformation and stand out for fair and just societies.

There are many things that can be done to counter discrimination and encourage acceptance: standing out and speaking up when something is wrong, raising awareness, supporting people who have been discriminated against and promoting the benefits of diversity.  On Zero Discrimination Day, you can show your support on social media:

Instagram - Several artists, designers and illustrators have created original pieces providing their interpretation of zero discrimination. Follow @unaidsglobal to see the artworks

Facebook - Everyone can support and participate in this year’s campaign through the #zerodiscrimination Facebook page. Anyone can share their own interpretation of zero discrimination, showing support by sharing pictures and drawings of a butterfly or posting images and photos with the hashtag #zerodiscrimination 

Twitter - Support the #zerodiscrimination campaign

Artwork taken from @unaidsglobal Instagram

Some facts and figures:

• 75 countries have laws that criminalize same-sex relations

• In one analysis from Swaziland, nearly 62% of men who have sex with men surveyed said that they feared seeking health care because of discrimination

• In only four out of ten countries worldwide do equal numbers of girls and boys attend secondary school

• Disabled people are four times more likely to report being treated badly and nearly three times more likely to be denied health care than non-disabled people

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UNRICs Related Links

· Zero Discrimination Day

Photo Credits

UNAIDS