Students with HIV from at least seven Tanzanian schools have been forced to wear red ribbons sewn to their school uniforms, The Independent reports. The headmaster of one of the schools involved claimed that the ribbons were requested by the students’ parents to indicate that the children should be excused from strenuous school tasks like sweeping or carrying water. Advocates countered that it’s harmful to suggest that children with HIV are incapable of performing physical tasks, and that the labeling itself leaves the students more vulnerable to stigma and discrimination.

To read the Independent article, click here.