The National Day of Women Living with HIV occurs annually on 9 March, as an opportunity to celebrate the lives of women living with HIV. This year, NAPWHA’s National Network of Women Living with HIV chose the theme ‘Challenge HIV Stigma’.
In the ongoing battle to end HIV stigma, Australia’s National Network of Women Living with HIV is showcasing to all Australians how women living with HIV challenge HIV-related stigma. The aim of the campaign is to empower women living with HIV who have experienced stigma by giving them a platform to share their stories, and educate people about what HIV stigma looks like.
Here is what some women living with HIV have to say about how they ‘Challenge HIV stigma’ in their day-to-day life.
We encourage you to share these testimonies and support your women living with HIV across Australia.
Women Living Well
‘Living Well’ is a website set up with the support of NAPWHA’s National Network of Women Living with HIV and has information about some of the key issues for women with HIV
National Network of WLHIV member and Positive Women Victoria vice chair Stephanie Lee Dafnomilis recently released a trailer for their upcoming documentary ‘Exploring HIV Stigma’. The trailer will also be presented at the Australian International Documentary Conference in Melbourne (5-8 March 2023).
When Steph was diagnosed with HIV during COVID lockdown in 2020, their world fell apart. But Steph was not only shocked by this unexpected diagnosis but also by the ongoing HIV-related stigma experienced in daily life. But what was even more shocking was the stigma experienced in healthcare settings.
‘I now call out stigma wherever I see it. What some may call attention seeking, I call education. That’s how I challenge stigma,’ Steph says.
