INTERNATIONAL DAYS DECEMBER
IN TE R N ATIO NAL DAYS
1st December – World Aids Day World AIDS Day is held on 1st December each year. It raises awareness across the world and in the community about HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). It is a day for the community to show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died of AIDS related conditions or other conditions associated with HIV. The national World AIDS Day theme for Australia in 2021 is ‘40 years of HIV – where to next?’. World AIDS Day aims to encourage Australians to educate themselves and others about HIV; to take action to reduce the transmission of HIV by promoting prevention strategies; and to ensure that people living with HIV can participate fully in the life of the community, free from stigma and discrimination.
2nd December – International Day for the Abolition of Slavery An estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery, including 24.9 in forced labour and 15.4 million in forced marriage. There are 5.4 victims of modern slavery for every 1,000 people in the world with 1 in 4 being children. 16 million people are exploited in the private sector such as in domestic work, construction or agriculture; 4.8 million are in forced sexual exploitation; and 4 million are in forced labour imposed by state authorities. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by forced labour, accounting for 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry, and 58% in other sectors. International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is to eradicate all forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
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