World celebrates Zero Discrimination Day on Thursday

THE world will on Thursday (March 1) mark Zero Discrimination Day.

On the day, UNAIDS is highlighting the right of everyone to be free from discrimination.

"No one should ever be discriminated against because of their age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, language, health (including HIV) status, geographical location, economic status or migrant status, or for any other reason," the organization said.

"Unfortunately, discrimination continues to undermine efforts to achieve a more just and equitable world. Many people face discrimination every day based on who they are or what they do."

 Discrimination, the organization said, will not disappear without actively addressing the ignorance, practices and beliefs that fuel it and that ending it requires action from everyone.

Zero Discrimination Day is an opportunity to highlight how everyone can be a part of the transformation and take a stand towards a more fair and just society.

The symbol for the day is the butterfly, widely used by people to share their stories and photos as a way to end discrimination and work towards positive transformation.

The UN first celebrated Zero Discrimination Day on March 1, 2014, after UNAIDS, a UN program on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, launched its Zero Discrimination Campaign on  World AIDS Day in December 2013.