Understanding Fundamental Human Rights and Their Categories
Inalienable Rights
Inalienable rights are those fundamental rights that cannot be legitimately denied to a person. No government has the power or authority to deny such rights, as they are part of the essence of being human. These rights are inherently inalienable.
Indivisible Rights
The indivisible nature of human rights rules out the possibility of conflict between them and highlights the close relationship between individual and social rights. The right to be free and equal in dignity, to have freedom of thought, conscience, religion, opinion, assembly, and association, is closely related to the right to work, to fair working conditions, to social security, to form and join trade unions, to rest, to periodic holidays with pay, to an adequate standard of living, to medical assistance, and to education.
Civil Rights
Civil law recognizes a sphere of privacy in people’s lives that cannot be invaded by state authorities. This category includes:
- Right to individual freedom: This should protect the freedom of every citizen, including the unpopular, and even against the wishes of the majority.
- Right to security: This obligates the state to ensure the physical integrity of persons and protection against torture, punishment, and cruel treatment.
- Right to freedom of thought and conscience: Each individual is free to think whatever they want, to hold their own ideas and opinions, and to have their own philosophy of life.
- Right to freedom of expression: Everyone has the right to be heard and to seek and receive information and ideas of all kinds.
- Right of assembly and association: This guarantees the freedom to debate public issues and form associations (unions, political parties, etc.).
Political Rights
This refers to regulations that allow public participation in the exercise of political power. Everyone has the right of access to public service in their country and the right to elect representatives.
Economic Rights
These refer to the individual or collective ownership of the goods needed for food, clothing, and housing. This includes the right to work and free choice of employment.
Social Rights
These tend to assure all citizens a minimum quality of life that allows them to develop fully in society. Examples include the right to healthcare, retirement benefits, etc.
Cultural Rights
These relate to freedom and the opportunity to participate in the cultural life of the community, to be educated, to enjoy art, to have access to information, etc.
Gender Rights: Rights of Women
These refer to the rights of both men and women. Historically, women’s rights were inferior to men’s. The traditional roles of men and women have changed dramatically in recent years. Many women now pursue traditionally male professions (medicine, law, engineering, etc.). Men have also begun to take on roles traditionally considered women’s work, such as caring for children. Relations between men and women are becoming more egalitarian, while supposed male superiority is increasingly discredited.
Minority Rights: Ethnic Minorities
Minorities are groups or smaller communities that exist within a society. These can include ethnic communities, people with disabilities, prisoners, and the elderly. They also assert their rights.
Ethnic minorities are characterized by a culture and lifestyle that differentiates them from the whole of society. Examples include indigenous people, Gypsies, and Jews. Abuses suffered by minorities throughout history include prejudice, discrimination, and dispossession of land.