Stand up for Zero Discrimination against LGBT people at work

Richard Howard

Richard Howard, ILO Senior Specialist on HIV and AIDS, Asia and the Pacific

I mentioned to an old friend a while back that we at the ILO were carrying out research on discrimination toward lesbian, gay, transgendered people and bisexuals (LGBT) in the workplace. His response – and this was coming from a gay man mind you – was why? Why should the ILO or anyone else care about what a worker does on their own time?

The implication is that what one does in the bedroom — one’s personal sexual behavior — should stay private. There is really no reason for these matters to come up at work. Continue reading

What Ukraine can teach us about fighting AIDS through the workplace

Larisa Savchuk

Larisa Savchuk, ILO National Focal point on HIV and AIDS in Ukraine

Ukraine has one of the fastest growing rates of HIV infection in Europe. The highest incidence of the disease is among young, working age people, potentially the most productive sections of the population. Awareness levels are relatively low. Only an estimated 47 per cent of people living with HIV know their status and the frequency of HIV testing is particularly poor among key, high risk populations.

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What’s it like to get tested for HIV at work?

HIV/AIDS and the World of Work Branch (ILOAIDS)

The ILO is the lead UN-agency on HIV workplace policies and programmes and private-sector mobilization. ILOAIDS is the branch dedicated to this issue.

The world has made tremendous strides in the fight against HIV over the past several years. In most of the world, new infections are down, the average life expectancy of people living with HIV is up and we have good reason to think that 2030 could be the year we declare victory over AIDS.

But that doesn’t mean we can let our guard down. There are still around 35 million people in the world infected with the virus and one in two of them don’t know it.

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