New tools to break down stigma

26 June 2007

The Alliance has developed a revised edition of the anti-stigma toolkit Understanding and challenging HIV stigma: Toolkit for action and it is now available to download.

Incorporating lessons from the field, feedback from trainers and exercises that respond to new types of stigma, the revised toolkit is packed full of ideas and exercises that provide ways of challenging and changing stigma at different levels – individual, organisational, family and community.

For the last three years the toolkit has been central to the Africa-wide anti-stigma training programme delivered by the Regional Stigma Training Project – part of the Alliance’s Africa Regional Programme. The original toolkit was developed with Change AED and the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) out of a three-country research study on stigma in 2003.

The revised toolkit contains five new modules. Treatment and stigma includes exercises to address stigma as a barrier to accessing antiretroviral treatment and successful adherence, as well as tools to explore the link between disclosure, confidentiality, treatment and stigma. Men who have sex with men and stigma contains introductory exercises to explore and address the stigma faced by men who have sex with men in an African context. Home-based care and stigma contains exercises designed to be incorporated into training and support sessions for home-based carers and volunteers, exploring the role of carers in combating stigma, and providing opportunities to address carers’ own fears and experiences of stigma. Children and stigma includes original and new exercises for adults and children to explore the stigma faced by children (particularly orphans) and help to empower children to express their feelings and experiences. Young people and stigma was developed with a group of young people living with HIV. Exercises include tools to analyse the stigma faced by young people, to identify coping and support strategies, on language and stigma, and on stigma and sexuality issues.

The toolkit has been redesigned and comes in a new format containing nine booklets, including a set of picture codes and clear facilitators’ notes for each exercise. The booklets are packaged in a handy carrying case, designed to be trainer friendly and easy to use.

The Regional Stigma Training Project has trained more than 400 national anti-stigma trainers from 16 African countries, and provides follow-up and technical support to national teams in order to roll out anti-stigma activities in each country.

Through follow-up meetings and regional workshops, trainers have been able to share their experiences of using the toolkit and to be involved in developing and testing out new exercises, which have been incorporated into the revised edition. The strength of the toolkit is that it has its foundations in the community, and the tools are developed by and with people affected by HIV.

The exercises rely on participatory methodology and are most effective if trainers are experienced and confident in working creatively and flexibly. They can be adapted to fit different contexts.

For further information contact suec@alliancezambia.org.zm, chipoc@alliancezambia.org.zm or mutalec@alliancezambia.org.zm