FEATURE
Zero Discrimination Day With Black Lives Matter, as a society we’ve started questioning how much we do to fight against discrimination. On the 1st of March, Zero Discrimination Day, launched by UNAIDS, takes place across the world. It is a day that calls for us to embrace the diversity around us and to take no acceptance to discrimination of all kinds, such as based on race, sexual orientation, gender or religion. It’s significant for celebrating the rights we all have as people and to highlight that no one should face any sort of barrier in their country based on an integral part of who they are. In many places across the world people live in societies where they do face barriers due to who they are which is unfair and unjust. The more of us who put in the effort to fight against these barriers, whether in our own country or other countries, then the more people across the world that will be able to live the life they want with dignity.
Celebrating the differences between us makes us the society we are today Celebrating the differences between us makes us the society we are today. With the celebration of differences amongst different members of our society, this can reinforce social cohesion and positive benefits. Each year, Zero Discrimination Day has a different theme and for this year it is “Zero Discrimination against Women and Girls”. Despite the progress made in terms of reforms and laws for equality in many countries, there are still many other countries where girls and women don’t have a voice and do not have the same freedom.
What Can We Do On Zero Discrimination Day (And Every Day)?
Join organisations and support organisations that fight against discrimination (Amnesty, The United Nations Association – UK, The Aegis Trust) Join or talk to the BE YOU Race Group in school Read books and watch videos from those from minority groups in society
Go out of your way to be nice to everyone and don’t judge others for who they are Zero Discrimination Day is important because it highlights the importance of treating everyone the same because aren’t we all human at the end of the day?
Izehi Ebhohimen, Year 12, Watt House
