The Global Stigma
“A stigma is an attribute which is deeply discrediting to a person. Stigma and discrimination are major obstacles to effective HIV/aids treatment, because it hinders access to health services, to housing, to employment etc.,” said professor Gro Therese Lie at the second day of the conference Grassroots and Academia Fighting Marginalisation . Even in Norway, where HIV/aids is a relatively small problem, people are so afraid of disclosing their status that a seminar for HIV-positive women was held at a secret location.
Later during the day, the work of the KIWAKKUKI centre was presented. This is a Tanzanian grassroots organization particularly focusing on the needs of women and children who are affected or infected with HIV. “Some people with HIV are able to talk to foreign people and councilors about their status, but they cannot tell their own family,“ Lightness Kaale from KIWAKKUKI said.
Theory and praxis were well intertwined at the conference, and several examples of how researchers can use their knowledge to inform and to help improve conditions were presented. The conference was a good example of how academia and the grassroots can cooperate to the benefit of both.
Both Norwegian and African researchers and activists attended the conference, and several persons involved in NUFU-projects presented their work. The conference was organized by Gro Therese Lie and the research group Multicultural venues in health and education at the University of Bergen.
