Tackling Stigma Conference 2026
Overcoming stigma as a barrier to healthcare.
23 to 24 November 2026
Overview
The Tackling Stigma Conference will focus on cross cutting approaches to understanding and addressing stigma, promote conversations and debate regarding systemic and structural issues that contribute to experiences of stigma in health care settings, and discuss novel strategies to overcome stigma as a barrier to health care. The conference will feature international and domestic keynote speakers, including lived and living experience speakers, concurrent themed sessions, and an evening function. The conference will cover a range of issues related to stigma and how that impacts health care access and uptake. Sign up for information and correspondence about the Tackling Stigma conference through our Expression of Interest more to be kept in the loop about the conference.
Key dates:
- 16 June 2026: Abstracts close
- 17 August 2026: Scholarships applications close
- 15 September 2026: Early bird registrations close
As attendees and presenters,
the Tackling Stigma Conference welcomes:
- Researchers and academics
- People with lived/living experiences of a variety of identities, practices, and health conditions that may be stigmatised
- Health clinicians and practitioners, including peer workers
- Policymakers and advocates
- Community organisations and representatives
- Others interested in overcoming stigma as a barrier to healthcare
Colombo Building (B16), UNSW Sydney
Featured Speakers
Liesl Tesch
Liesl Tesch
State Member for Gosford in the NSW Parliament
Liesl Tesch is the Member for Gosford in the NSW Parliament. In 2023, Liesl was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Communities and Parliamentary Secretary for Disability Inclusion. Before politics, Liesl spent 20 years as a high school teacher. Liesl has competed at seven Paralympic Games, winning two gold medals in sailing, two silver and a bronze medal for basketball. In 2014, Liesl was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia, for significant service to sport and promotion of sport for people with disabilities. Liesl has been inducted into the NSW and Australian Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
Rhea Liang
Rhea Liang
Surgeon, MD Clinical Curriculum Lead Bond University
A/Prof Rhea Liang is a general and breast surgeon, educator, and diversity advocate. She is the MD Curriculum Lead at Bond University and recent Chair of the A Better Culture curriculum group. Her work focuses on driving sustainable organisational change through a combination of nerdy evidence, surgical pragmatism, and unapologetic allyship.
Josephine Nabukenya
Josephine Nabukenya
Founder / Executive Director, Miles of Smiles Foundation
Josephine Nabukenya is the Founder of Miles of Smiles Foundation, a non‑government organization in Uganda that works to improve the lives of children, adolescents, and youth living with chronic illnesses, including HIV, sickle cell disease, and other non‑communicable diseases. Their work focuses on peer‑led interventions that provide treatment support, psychosocial care, and practical skills development.
About
The Centre for Social Research in Health was established in 1990. Our work makes a crucial contribution to the Australian response to blood-borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections by examining the social aspects of HIV, viral hepatitis, injecting drug use, sexual health, sexuality, substance use and mental health. We work closely with national and international researchers, community organisations and community advocates, and with government and state bodies (including health departments). Our work is underpinned by a core principle of engaging people with lived and living experience of the wide range of attributes, identities, conditions, and practices that we study.
In 2024, we launched the Tackling Stigma Conference, the first Australian conference to specifically focus on overcoming stigma in healthcare and improving health outcomes for a range of stigmatised groups. The conference was a sold-out event, drawing national and international delegates, including academics, people with lived/living experience, community advocates and educators, people who develop or implement health promotion programs and services, policy makers, and health workers.
Following the success of the first conference, it will be hosted again in November 2026. The conference will focus on cross cutting approaches to understanding and addressing stigma, promote conversations and debate regarding systemic and structural issues that contribute to experiences of stigma in health care settings, and discuss novel strategies to overcome stigma as a barrier to health care. This conference is guided by an organising committee based at the Centre for Social Research in Health. In keeping with our commitment to centring communities affected by stigma and discrimination, we are also guided by an advisory committee comprised of people with lived and living experience of stigma and discrimination related to a wide range of identities, conditions, and practices.
What is stigma?
Stigma may be understood in many ways. We have provided one definition of stigma below for your reference.
Stigma is a social process whereby people are excluded or treated differently based on conditions, identities, and practices that are judged or viewed negatively by members of society. Stigma involves the exercise of power and control to devalue certain groups of people. Many people can experience intersecting forms of stigma, with other forms of stigma related to social identities like race, gender, sexuality, and class. Stigma can occur at multiple levels: structural (e.g., in laws, public opinion, media), organisational (e.g., through policies and practices), individual (e.g., through behaviour and language), and intrapersonal (e.g., in beliefs of self-worth). Discrimination refers to how stigma is manifested, such as through negative actions, behaviours, or speech towards people based on those attributes, conditions, identities, and practices. Stigma and discrimination have significant negative health and social impacts on affected people and communities and on costs to the health system.
Conference Topics and Themes
We are interested in cross-cutting and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and addressing stigma. To begin to move beyond siloed approaches to stigma reduction, we invite people working to address stigma towards a range of identities, conditions, and practices to submit an abstract for this conference.
- Barriers to health care, including experiences of self-stigma and stigma in other settings
- Lived / living experience of health care, including experiences of stigma, experiences of high-quality health care, reflections on what health care should look like
- How stigma towards specific behaviours and conditions intersects with other forms of discrimination, such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, and others
- Research on how stigma manifests in a variety of health care settings and towards a variety of features of identity, behaviours and conditions, including blood-borne viruses, sexually transmissible infections, mental health, alcohol and other drugs, gender and sexuality diversity, among others
- Stigma and discrimination in health care policy and practice
- Identifying and responding to the role that power relations play in producing and perpetuating stigma
- Silence, obvious blind spots, and major gaps in stigma reduction policies and practices, including unconscious bias
- Innovative strategies, programs, or interventions to reduce stigma, promote inclusion in health care settings, and/or overcome other barriers to health care particularly peer-led models of care
- Other strategies, programs, or interventions to promote high-quality care, inclusive care, cultural safety, gender-affirming care, trauma-informed care, and stigma-sensitive practice
We have provided the above topics as a guide only.
Abstract Submission
The Tackling Stigma Conference 2026 is now accepting submissions for abstracts. Priority will be given to submissions that emphasise action on tackling stigma, including novel programs, campaigns, and interventions, and that champion and centre lived experience and the voices of those affected by stigma.
If you would like assistance in developing your abstract for submission, please contact stigmaconference@unsw.edu.au
Guidelines
Abstracts can be submitted for oral presentations only; there will be no poster presentations. Presentations will be 12 minutes with 3 minutes question time. We may also offer shorter presentations of 5-7 minutes for rapid sessions.There are two types of submissions we are accepting (Research Abstracts and Practice/Policy Abstracts) and we have provided templates for you to use to create your abstracts:
1. Research Abstract – abstracts on original research findings, case studies, completed projects, and theoretical analyses.
2. Practice and Policy Abstract – non-research based abstracts on programs, community engagement, education, health promotion, and policy.
All abstracts must be submitted directly through our online submissions form below.
- Abstracts must be submitted in English.
- Abstracts must not exceed 300 words, and each abstract must only be submitted once.
- Abstracts should be text only; photos, tables or other images will not be accepted.
- Abstracts for quantitative and qualitative research must be structured, i.e. divided into sections: Introduction, Methods/Approach, Findings, and Implications. These headings are suggestions only and you may use your preferred headings. Please refer to the example below.
- Non-research related abstracts for presentations that discuss community or health-related programs and practice must also be structured. Please refer to the example below.
- The abstract will be reproduced directly from the typescript. Corrections cannot be made once the abstract has been submitted. Please proofread carefully before submission.
- Include all authors' names and the name of each institution represented by the authors on your abstract.
- Underline the name(s) of the author(s) who will be presenting the paper.
- Abstract submissions will be peer reviewed. The Conference Organising Committee will make the final decision on which abstracts are accepted. Authors will be notified of their abstract acceptance status from August 2026.
Accepted abstracts will be uploaded to the Conference website as part of the program.
Please note that all presenters will need to register for the conference following acceptance of an abstract or session.
Please contact the conference organisers at stigmaconference@unsw.edu.au if you wish to propose a conference symposium or workshop.
Language guidelines
All submissions should aim to use non-stigmatising language. We encourage the use of person-centred and inclusive language throughout your abstract and presentation. Please refer to the following language guides when developing your abstract and presentation.
- Australian Government Style Manual for Accessible and Inclusive Language
- APA Guidelines for Bias Free Language
- APA Guidelines for Inclusive Language
- NADA & NUAA Language Matters
- Mindframe: Our Words Matter
- Trans-Affirming Clinical Language
- Words Matter! INPUD & ANPUD Language Statement and Reference Guide
- Reconciliation Action Plan: Demonstrating inclusive and respectful language
- People First Charter
- Guide to Age Positive Language
- The National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls Language Guide
- Diabetes Australia: Our language matters
Registration
The conference is being held in person at UNSW Sydney, 23 to 24 November 2026.
| Type of registration | Fees (AUD) |
|---|---|
| General early bird admission (up to 15th September 2026) | $480 |
| General admission (from 16th September 2026) | $550 |
| One day general admission | $350 |
| Student / concession * admission | $420 |
| One day student / concession * admission | $250 |
* For student and/or concession tickets, please email your proof of student / concession status to stigmaconference@unsw.edu.au after the registration is completed.
Tickets can only be purchased by credit or debit card. If you require an invoice prior to purchase, please send an email with your name, organisation, mailing address, and the ticket type that you wish to purchase to stigmaconference@unsw.edu.au
Note: Refunds will be determined on a case-by-case basis by emailing stigmaconference@unsw.edu.au
No refunds will be processed after 8 November 2026.
Scholarships
Applications for scholarships to attend the Tackling Stigma Conference 2026 are open now. People with lived or living experience of stigma in health care settings, along with people who work with or volunteer with communities experiencing stigma in health care settings will be prioritised. The scholarships may cover the costs of registration, travel, and accommodation (including travel to and from airports), and other costs.
Key Selection Criteria
Applicants must:
- Have lived or living experience of stigma in health care settings *, or work with or volunteer with communities experiencing stigma in health care settings.
- Be engaged in work, volunteering, or other community education, support, or advocacy activities.
- Be aged 18 years or older; and
- Live within Australia.
* Lived or living experience of stigma in health care settings may include (but is not limited to): HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, substance use, incarceration, sex work, culturally and linguistically diverse background, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background, disability, mental health, gender and sexual diversity, neurodiversity.
How to apply
- Read the scholarship application information above, including Key Selection Criteria.
- Complete the online scholarship application form (available below).
- Please attach to your application an email or letter of support for you to attend the conference from your organisation or an alternative professional referee who can speak to your work, volunteering, or other community education, support, or advocacy activities.
- Closing date for applications is 17th August 2026 and applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by 1st September 2026.
Venue
Colombo Building (B16)
High St Gate 4 (entrance on Fig Tree lane)
UNSW Sydney, Kensington NSW 2052
Public transport is available via light rail and bus. For public transport route and payment options see: https://transportnsw.info/trip#/trip
For information on parking on campus, please see: https://www.estate.unsw.edu.au/getting-here/parking-campus
All conference spaces within the Colombo Building are wheelchair accessible, and wheelchair accessible toilet facilities are available.
Gender-neutral toilets are available at the venue.
UNSW is located on the unceded territory of the Bedegal (Kensington campus), Gadigal (City and Paddington Campuses) and Ngunnawal peoples (UNSW Canberra) who are the Traditional Custodians of the lands where each campus of UNSW is situated.
FAQ
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All conference spaces are wheelchair accessible, and an accessible toilet is available.
The venue is adjacent to High Street and has vehicular access.
Hearing loops are available in the lecture theatres. -
The conference will be held as in-person only, with no hybrid capacity.
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If you wish to receive a certificate of attendance, please email the conference team at stigmaconference@unsw.edu.au
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If you have any other questions, please email the conference team at stigmaconference@unsw.edu.au
Our Acknowledgement of Country
UNSW Sydney’s Kensington campus is built on the land of the Aboriginal people. We pay our respects to the Bedegal people of the Eora nation who are the Custodians of this land.
We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the First Australians, whose lands, winds and waters we all now share, and pay respect to their unique values, and their continuing and enduring cultures which deepen and enrich the life of our nation and communities.