While we have made great strides towards empowering people living with HIV (PLWHIV) in the Netherlands, PLWHIV with a migrant background continue to be hardly seen or heard. The numbers speak for themselves: We already know for years that about 42% of PLWHIV in the Netherlands have a migrant background, highlighting the significant impact of HIV on migrant communities in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, less than 5% of the board members of the ‘big five’ HIV alliances are individuals with a migrant background, and only 20% of their staff members share this background. This lack of representation of people with a migrant background at the level of our HIV allies highlights persistent inequalities within the HIV community and underscores the need for change to better engage with PLWHIV with a migrant background.
Our vision
We want to build a Movement around this vision:
An inclusive society free from stigma and discrimination where people enjoy equitable opportunities to shape healthy and thriving communities.
Who is this for?
People with a migrant background face systemic exclusion from many aspects in daily life, whether related to access to health services, income and social protection, negotiating work conditions, or other social determinants of health. This may be due to many factor, including outright stigma and discrimination, cultural differences or language barriers. In the end this negatively impacts their physical and mental health. No one should be left behind! We strive for equity for people with a migrant background, ensuring they can thrive as healthy citizens in the Netherlands society.
What do we want to achieve?
We want to accelerate creating an inclusive society free from stigma and discrimination, where everyone can contribute to shaping healthy and thriving communities:
- Unite people with a migrant background who experience stigma and discrimination based on their social and cultural background
- Empower people with a migrant background to share their experiences of social inequities and how they affect their health
- Pioneer actions to improve the social determinants of health with migrant communities and their partners
- Advocate for systemic and organisational changes that address social determinants of health and reflect the diversity of our society
- ……….
Do you want to join our Movement?
2025 is the year we will dedicate to building a Movement of PLWHIV with a migrant background so we can agitate and advocate for a society where equity is the driving force behind healthy and thriving communities. Do you want to join us? Get in touch with us!
HIV stigmafighter 