Zero Discrimination Day

Holiday observed on 1 March

Zero Discrimination Day

Also called| #zerodiscriminationday
Observed by| United Nations (UN)
Type| Cultural
Date| 1 March
Frequency| Annual
Related to| UNAIDS, LGBT Pride

Zero Discrimination Day is an annual day celebrated on 1 March each year by the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations. The day aims to promote equality before the law and is practiced throughout all of the member countries of the UN. It was first celebrated on March 1, 2014, and was launched by UNAIDS' executive director Michel Sidibé on 27 February that year with a major event in Beijing.[1]

In February 2017, UNAIDS called on people to "make some noise around zero discrimination, to speak up and prevent discrimination from standing in the way of achieving ambitions, goals and dreams".[2]

The day is particularly noted by organizations like UNAIDS that combat discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. "HIV related stigma and discrimination is pervasive and exists in almost every part of the world including our Liberia," according to Dr. Ivan F. Camanor, chairman of the National AIDS Commission of Liberia.[3] The UN Development Programme also paid tribute in 2017 to LGBTI people with HIV/AIDS who face discrimination.[4]

Campaigners in India have used this day to speak out against laws making discrimination against the LGBTI community more likely, especially during the previous campaign to repeal the law (Indian Penal Code, s377[5]) that used to criminalize homosexuality in that country, before that law was overturned by the Indian Supreme Court in September 2018.[6]

In 2015, Armenian Americans in California held a "die-in" on Zero Discrimination Day to remember the victims of the Armenian genocide.[7]

The theme for 2025 is "We Stand Together".[8]

## See also

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* Anti-discrimination law
* Zero tolerance

## References

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1. ^ "Zero Discrimination Day to be celebrated 1 March 2014". UNAIDS. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
2. ^ "UNAIDS urges everyone to make some noise for zero discrimination" (Press release). UNAIDS. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
3. ^ Watkins, Solomon. "Liberia Joins Global Community to Stand Up For Zero Discrimination". FrontPage Africa. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
4. ^ Dhaliwal, Mandeep (28 February 2017). "Do more than make some noise…". United Nations Development Programme. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
5. ^ Biswas, Shreya (1 March 2016). "Zero Discrimination Day: Heres why you should know about it and be a part". India Today. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
6. ^ Iidangoor, Abhishyant (6 September 2018). "India's Supreme Court Decriminalizes Homosexuality in a Historic Ruling for the LGBTQ Community". Time. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
7. ^ Hairenik (2 March 2015). "Armenian Youth Stage 'Die-in' on 'Zero Discrimination Day'". Armenian Weekly. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
8. ^ "2025 Zero Discrimination Day — We stand together". www.unaids.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Zero Discrimination Day at UNAIDS

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