Call for zero discrimination in society
Gabi Khumalo
2 September 2011
Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini has challenged South Africans to help build a culture of non-discrimination, tolerance and respect in society – including respect for people living with HIV/Aids, as well as for lesbian, gay and transgender people.
"Society must never tolerate discrimination against gays ... and transgender people," Dlamini said at the South African Women's HIV Prevention Summit in Johannesburg this week.
"At the same time, parliamentarians, the judiciary, law enforcement, educators, media as well as civil and religious leaders should be mobilised to build a culture of non-discrimination, tolerance and respect."
Dlamini stressed the importance of making the UNAids campaign that speaks to zero new infections, zero deaths and zero discrimination the platform for South Africa's policies and strategies.
"Government and civil society need to engage in parallel advocacy work to embed a culture of human rights and zero discrimination so that all people are safe," she said.
"The results of these endeavours should be reflected in the kind of social and legal environment we create to enable access to HIV programmes ... We must protect the human rights and dignity of all people if we are to effectively prevent the spread of HIV."
Dlamini also called on parents to rise to the challenge posed by social networks that give children access to pornography. "If we don't talk to them, we are going to lose our children. We have to rise to the occasion. The good old days are gone," Dlamini warned women.
She further challenged "elite" women to involve other women in the "lower" class when talking about issues affecting them, instead of claiming to speak on their behalf. "Vulnerable people are the best people to speak for themselves, let's allow them to speak."
The two-day summit, which started on Tuesday, aims to engage high-level policymakers, including researchers and advocates, to discuss the HIV prevention agenda for women in South Africa.
Nonhlanhla Dlamini, the Department of Health's chief director on HIV prevention, acknowledged the role played by people living with HIV/Aids, noting that the department had partnered with them in a bid to reduce new HIV infections.
"People living with HIV are an integral part of the prevention solution," Dlamini said. "As an intervention, they are part of pre- and post-counselling and also part of support group activities, and part of health care worker activities."
Source: BuaNews
