Why it’s vital to address stigma and discrimination

Stigma can contribute to:

Name-calling, bullying and violence in different spaces

A lower reported quality of life, and hopelessness about life

Feeling less confident, with poor feelings of self-worth

Feeling isolated and excluded from family and community life

All of this affects the human rights of people with disabilities, including the right to:

Take advantage of education and have a quality learning experience
Seek health care, and receive quality, inclusive care
Participate in community life, including the chance to marry and have a safe family life
Experience fully civic participation and actively participate in political spaces
Freedom from violence and abuse

Therefore, addressing stigma and discrimination is a critical components of a rights-based approach.

Stigma can also affect caregivers and other family members, which in turn shapes the early life and development of children. In some contexts, for example, this results in abandonment of the mother and child, which can contribute to a cycle of poverty and yet another layer of stigma.

It is therefore vital to understand the significant role that stigma can play.

Sources: The Lancet; World Health Organization; Stigma as a barrier to UNCRPD in Africa (PDF); United Nations; The Missing Billion (PDF); London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine