Overcoming stigma

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Getting workers even to talk about sex and HIV can be a major challenge in parts of Asia, says Nishi Kapahi

India is a vast country with a huge population and variable socio-economic norms. In many parts of the country, poverty, low levels of literacy and the low status of women, with minimal access to resources, contribute to the perpetuation of myths and misconceptions about HIV. These leave people vulnerable to infection, stigma and inadequate support.

We at the ITF Delhi office have been involved with HIV/AIDS work in India, Bangladesh and Nepal over the last three years, and we have had to battle against the odds to create awareness even among our more educated trade union leaders and members.

In the country where the Karma Sutra was written, sex and issues relating to sex are considered taboo and as far as possible they are not freely discussed even in the confines of the household. Often communication on these issues does not take place even between mothers and daughters.

It has been tough to get people to talk about HIV and AIDS. Embarrasment is often writ large on the faces of people attending our programmes. There have been occasions when women have walked out of the room refusing to participate in the “shameful” discussion. However, once the ice is broken, enlightened participants carry home the promise of sharing their newly acquired knowledge.

Peer outreach

Our aim from the beginning was to tackle the issue through peer education in the transport industry. Initially, a group of 13 volunteers representing the ports, seafarers and railway employees, was trained to kick-start the work in the city of Mumbai.

Group members then took it upon themselves to create awareness within their respective workplaces, expanding their scope to the state of Maharashtra, which is one of the worst affected states of India.

This was followed by another group from the Auto rickshaw (Tuk Tuk) and taxi drivers’ union in Bangalore, who volunteered to be trained as peer educators. This group is now trying to bring about awareness and a change in the behavior of other auto and taxi drivers in the city and also to the general public. They have put up catchy slogans in their vehicles and also distribute condoms to passengers who want to visit the “red light areas” of the city.

Now a number of unions in India and Nepal are working to create awareness about how to combat HIV/AIDS. However at this stage, it is difficult for us to project how many of their members will eventually change their behaviour a result.

Social outcasts

Slowly, as awareness among trade union leaders is increasing, they are getting involved in the care and support of their members. There have been a number of instances where people who succumbed to AIDS had nobody from their family or friends to arrange for their funeral. Our union members have provided the service.

Recently it was reported that an HIV positive member of one of our unions was on the verge of committing suicide due to stigma and the social boycott he was experiencing from his family. It was only after the persistent intervention of the general secretary that the family was counselled about the disease and came to agree on arrangements for his care and support.

A lot of efforts are being made by different agencies, including trade unions, to manage the pandemic in India, but these are still like drops in the ocean. A huge country like India needs to scale up its efforts and formulate better policies to counter the pandemic. The corporate world, government, non-government organisations and trade unions need to join hands to achieve this objective. Currently the approaches are acutely fragmented, and this is one more hurdle to be overcome.

Nishi Kapahi works for the ITF Delhi office

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