Today, on December 10th, we’re celebrating Human Rights Day. Each year, it marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The Universal Declaration states the rights to which every human being is afforded by birth, regardless of “race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status”, and has been translated into over 500 languages—more than any other document in the world.
The human rights outlined in the Universal Declaration cover both political and civil rights, and economic, social and cultural rights. These exist in Australia to prevent abuse of power at a government level, and to ensure human dignity is maintained via access to adequate standards of living. However, we must become more aware of violations to inalienable human rights which occur in our country every day. The overrepresentation of Aboriginal youth and adults in our prison system is gaining increasing media attention—while only 2.5% of Australia’s population is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, 25% of incarcerated persons in Australia are Indigenous—and threatens to infringe upon Articles 7 and 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These articles assert the equality of all persons in the face of the law, and dissuade unjust or arbitrary arrest and incarceration. The Inclusive Australia 2020/21 Social Inclusion Index found that 52.1% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders experienced major discrimination (for example, being unfairly denied a job or discouraged from continuing with education). These figures are worrying, but even more so when they violate Article 26, asserting the right to education, and Article 23, asserting the right to work and favourable working conditions. Furthermore, despite inalienable human rights declaring the equality of all people and the right to live without being discriminated against, the Index states that one in seven Australians are highly prejudiced against women, and nearly 30% of women report having experienced a form of everyday discrimination at least weekly.
This year, Human Rights Day is encouraging equality and non-discrimination. With the 2021 theme of ‘EQUALITY: Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights’, we are prompted to recall Article 1 of the Universal Declaration: “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. A greater global focus on equality and inclusion enhances progress towards human rights-based sustainable development (read the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals here), and offers a framework for eradicating poverty, creating more opportunities for young people, addressing vaccine inequality, advancing climate justice, and preventing conflicts around the world. The UN’s Shared Framework on Leaving No One Behind pinpoints equality as a key factor at the core of sustainable development and progress on a global level.
On a local level, this year’s theme of equality prompts us to strive to create equal opportunities and amplify the voices of underrepresented groups in our own communities. By becoming more aware of the everyday breaches of human rights that we witness or experience in our own lives, we arm ourselves with the knowledge to prevent discrimination and promote equality into the future.
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