1. HIV and AIDS related
stigma reduction
‘Socialisation
Matters’
By Ngonidzashe Edward & Time Baluwa
Jesuit AIDS Project
Zimbabwe
Promoting an AIDS free Generation

2. Overview of the Problem:
Stigma and discrimination has caused severe psychosocial and
biological problems and pain in the lives of people who are
infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Socialisation is the core of our problem and any
attempt to deal with stigma and discrimination should
strongly address the formation processes.
 There is a casual relationship between socialisation and
behaviours.
 Socialisation impacts on our perceptions, attitudes, beliefs,
characters which influence our judgements.
 Elements like stigma and discrimination which constitute part of
our behaviours are a product of this formation
Therefore when a person stigmatise or discriminate, this
reflects the kind of socialisation (formation) he/she has
received.

3. Fact file:
 Most HIV/AIDS organisations have a stigma
and discrimination component in their
programmes.
 With that regard, in Harare Province alone we
estimate over 200 organisations working on
stigma and discrimination.
 Zimbabwe National Behaviour Change
Strategy – States that Stigma and
Discrimination is a challenge that needs a
national response

4. Kind of Response followed:
 Effects Reduction Based Approach that
focused on reducing effects of HIV/AIDS
 Focus on the wrong front e.g. advertisements
( War example – during war, battles are
fought in different fronts but there is always
the main front which is the core or command
centre “front line”)
 Behaviour Adjustment Approaches

5. Focusing on the wrong front

6. What ought to be theWhat ought to be the
APPROACH?APPROACH?
 Adopting appropriate approaches that bridge
the gap between knowledge and practice.
 Behaviour Formation (Developing a culture
and Personality)
 Touching the Base – Root Causes
 Cause based Approach
Zimbabwe

7. Freud’s IllustrationFreud’s Illustration
“ the first five or six years of life have an
indelible influence on the subsequent life of
the individual” SigmundFreud (1940) An
Outline of Psychoanalysis. Standard
Edition.
The statement calls us to focus on the
nurturing and formation done during this
period and its impact on behaviour even
many years later.

8. The root cause : Socialisation
Socialisation is how a person is formed or moulded over a
long period of time. This involves the formal and informal
training which is handed down to community members from
a tender age through mediums like cultures, traditions and
even media.
 The influencing components of our cultures and
traditions e.g. the socialisation of
 Death (Extinction and continuity)
 Sickness
 Community health
 Sin/ morality

9. Key socialisation factorsKey socialisation factors
Beliefs
Traditions
Cultural
Practices
ME
Zimbabwe

10. The Main Challenge
 How to deal with deep rooted beliefs and attitudes which culture,
traditions have imprinted on us and some of these promote stigma
and discrimination.
 Can we deal with them using
- advertisements or
- awareness campaigns or
- one day workshops?
 Information based approaches focus mostly on information
dissemination, but does this address the problem?
- The gap between information/ knowledge and
practice.

11. Way Forward
 Shifting focus from consequence intervention
to cause intervention
- Target the command centre.
 Focus on Nurturing systems e.g. families,
schools, community centre and churches
 Formation of the person
- character
- mentality
- attitudes

12. Conclusion RemarksConclusion Remarks
 What is the approach which forms a
person?
- which changes the deep rooted cultural
and traditional beliefs and other elements.
- elements which are now natural and
incorporated into our own subsystems.
Zimbabwe

13. Make a difference today. Go toMake a difference today. Go to
the ROOT causesthe ROOT causes
Thank YouThank You
Zimbabwe