Human Rights
Sana Ullah
IU- ION
Objectives
At the end of the unit learners will be able to:
1. Define human rights
2. Recognize basic human rights
3. Appreciate the importance of human rights
4. Conceptualize a rights based approach to
health
5. Identify nurses’ role in client centered health
care approach
Human Rights
HUMAN RIGHTS are the rights that all
people have by virtue of being human
beings.
HUMAN RIGHTS are derived from the
inherent dignity of the human person and
are defined internationally, nationally and
locally by various law making bodies.
DEFINITION
HUMAN RIGHTS is defined as the supreme,
inherent, and inalienable rights to life, to dignity,
and to self-development.
It is concerned with issues in both areas of civil
and political rights and economic, social and
cultural rights founded on internationally accepted
human rights obligations
HUMAN RIGHTS
The term HUMAN RIGHTS was coined by *Eleanor Roosevelt
to replace Rights of Man
NATURE – Human rights are more than legal concepts: they
are the essence of man. They are what make man human.
That is why they are called human rights; deny them and
you deny man’s humanity
(Jose Diokno)
*Eleanor Roosevelt, chaired the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in
its early years.
HUMAN RIGHTS
RIGHTS – moral power;
to hold (rights to life, nationality, own property, rest and
leisure),
to do (rights to marry, job, education),
to omit (freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or
degrading punishment, freedom from arbitrary arrest,
detention or exile) and
to exact something (equal protection of the law, equal
access to public service, equal pay for equal work)
Characteristics of Human Rights
Universal
Internationally guaranteed
Legally protected
Protects individuals and groups
Cannot be taken away
Equal and indivisible
Obliges States and State actors
Legal basis - UN Charter
Sets the promotion of and respect for
human rights for all as one of the aims
of the UN
Establishes legal obligations for
Member States to take action to
achieve respect for human rights
Legal basis
Human rights Treaties
Conventions, Covenants
Declarations
Contain detailed lists and definitions of
human rights and obligations of the State
5
Declaration of Human Rights
Section 1 The Declaration
On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly
of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
1948
(UDHR).
It states that:
Everyone has a right to…
6
life, freedom and security humane equal protection
Section 1 The Declaration
treatment in law
freedom of thought,
conscience and religion rest and leisure
take part in access public service and marry and start a family
government social security
own property
be presumed innocent
until proven guilty Work, for a just wage
an adequate
Freedom of opinion free choice of employment
and expression
standard of
living
fair conditions at work
freedom of peaceful
assembly and association join a trade union protection of privacy, family,
home, correspondence and
education asylum from persecution reputation
participate in a nationality
cultural life
Five categories of Human Rights
Civil – the right to be treated as an equal to anyone
else in society
Political – the right to vote, to freedom of speech and
to obtain information
Economic – the right to participate in an economy
that benefits all; and to desirable work
Social – the right to education, health care, food,
clothing, shelter and social security
Cultural – the right to freedom of religion, and to
speak the language, and to practice the culture of
one’s choice
SOME CIVIL RIGHTS
Life
Belief in own religion
Opinion
Free speech
Non-discrimination according to sex
Marry
Race
Cultural background
SOME POLITICAL RIGHTS
Vote in elections
Freely form or join political parties
Live in an independent country
Stand for public office
Freely disagree with views and policies
of political leaders
SOME ECONOMIC RIGHTS
Jobs
Work without exploitation
Fair wage
Safe working conditions
Form trade unions
Have adequate food
Protection against labor malpractices
SOME SOCIAL RIGHTS
Housing
Education
Health services
Recreation facilities
Clean environment
Social security
SOME CULTURAL RIGHTS
Use own language
Develop cultural activities
Ancestral domains
Develop own kind of schooling
Reference
Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR) can be accessed at
http://www.un.org/en/documents/ud
hr/index.shtml#a1
Useful resource
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/
hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-3/
Activity1.htm
