“Stigma (Sociological Theory), the phenomenon whereby an individual with an attribute, which is deeply discredited by his/her society, is rejected as a result of the attribute”

Latin Root: Stigmat-, stigma (mark or brand)

Swahili word for stigma: Unyanyapaa

literal translation: to recoil in disgust

 I lived in Tanzania for three years but I am by no means an expert on what it must feel like to be on the receiving end of the kind of stigma that an HIV positive person or an orphan in Tanzania is subject to on a daily basis. I can only share what I have seen and heard from those who have been most deeply affected by the obvious whispers, the pointing fingers, and the cold shoulders of coworkers, neighbors, and family members. 

Throughout the years, while working with Mama Oska, we often found ourselves discussing what life was like for her and the stigma that she was faced with in her community. Instead of hiding and shying away when confronted with ignorant and hurtful comments/actions, Mama Oska decided early on that she was going to stand tall and continue to live her life on her own terms. 

She decided that she was going to continue singing in the church choir despite sneers from her fellow parishioners. She decided that she still wanted to be a village leader despite declaration of her imminent death from the current leaders. She decided that she was going to tell the world about her story and her status despite the fact that there was little understanding or compassion for what she was going through. She decided that she was going to keep on fighting and live, both for her son, herself, and the countless other individuals that were struggling with the same issues as she. 

All of this was not easy and came at a cost but Mama Oska, and the thousands of people that she has empowered through choosing to live the way she does, believes that it was and is the only way.  Without a voice or a face to put with HIV, it is easy for people to throw out hurtful and ignorant comments. Mama Oska recognizes that much stigma stems from peoples fear and ignorance so she spends much of her time educating the community and anyone who will listen. 

Many times, those who are most hurtful are people who live secretly with the disease, and who are trying to distance themselves as much as they can so that they themselves are not stigmatized by the community. Others are ill educated about the Virus and are uncertain as to how it can be transmitted. In the 10 years that she has been living openly with HIV, Mama Oska has seen many changes in peoples attitudes and practices but there is still a long way to go.

 Anyone can experience stigma however different societies regard different attributes as being tabu. An individual with a certain attribute could be praised in one society but treated with disdain in another, solely based on social norms. A person could experience the effects of stigma because of religious preference, sexual preference, weight, ethnicity, social standing, economic status, age, health history, employment history, etc. 

Final thought: Stigma is in every country and every community. Please take a minute to think about your actions. Is there anyone in your community that you may be unfairly judging? Maybe it’s a homeless person in downtown, a more conservative/liberal member of your religious group, a gay/lesbian/straight neighbor, a democrat/republican co-worker, or a migrant worker. If someone comes to mind, try to take 10-20 minutes this week to sit down and start getting to know them. Focus on really listening and asking sincere and caring questions and let us know how it goes.   

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