Can a workshop change stigma?

Irrational fears and judgements, misinformation and traditional beliefs fuel stigma against people living with HIV and AIDS. Although policy change and advocacy are important for creating an environment free of stigma, individual behaviour change is equally important.

The Regional Stigma Training Project, based in Zambia has been training national teams of trainers in eight countries: Zambia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire, since 2004. Using the Anti-Stigma Toolkit developed with the International Center for Research on Women these teams are trained on stigma issues. The trainers then carry out community workshops and train faith-based, community-based and non-governmental organisations to integrate stigma into their existing programmes.

Anti-Stigma Toolkit

The kit started off as simple exercises to help research assistants find ways of talking to the local community about stigma. These exercises showed the need for better tools to help people explore stigma and its many facets. The toolkit now contains over 100 participatory exercises exploring the causes of stigma, such as fears about HIV transmission or moral judgements; looking at strategies for coping with stigma and ways of naming and changing stigma in different settings.

As attitudes to stigma change and evolve, the toolkit is also evolving. New modules are developed with community members, for example, on stigma surrounding men having sex with men. Trainers take the toolkit into the local communities and work to make anti-stigma efforts an everyday part of people's lives. Stigma modules are integrated into training courses for counsellors, health workers and teachers.

The answer to behaviour change, however, lies in the stigma workshops:

• The safe atmosphere of the workshops leads people to explore and share experiences together and the sharing raises awareness.
• Simple reflection exercises, role-plays and discussions focusing on topics such as gender, language or rights make participants realise the harm stigma causes and the need to change their behaviour and attitudes.
• Although the workshops are intensive and immediate results are on an individual level, they also look at how the toolkit can be rolled out to make a wider difference.

Focus group discussions are regularly held with participants trained by trainers, who talk about changing stigma. Evaluations of these stigma workshops, nearly always include comments such as: 'it was different from other workshops' and 'I have changed since coming to this workshop'. Stigma is often quoted as being the biggest barrier to dealing with the epidemic.

The programme is half way through its planned time period and a formal evaluation is yet to be conducted but there is certainly evidence that the workshops are creating steps for a way forward.

Sue Clay and Chipo Chiyya
International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PO box 33796, Plot 3020 Mosi-oa-Tunya Road, Woodlands, Lusaka, Zambia
suec@alliancezambia.org.zm
chipoc@alliancezambia.org.zm

See also

Kanayaka - the light is on: Understanding HIV and AIDS related Stigma in Urban and Rural Zambia, Report from ICRW, Washington and the ZAMBART project, Zambia, by Virginia Bond et al, 2003 (PDF) www.icrw.org/docs/kanayaka.pdf

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