HUMAN RIGHTS

CHARACTERISTICS
 What are human rights?
Human rights are
those rights that

every human being

possesses and is entitled

to enjoy

simply by virtue of being human.

 Put in another way,
they are those rights
which are
inherent in our nature,
without which,
we cannot
live as human beings.
Basic characteristics of human rights

Human rights are generally characterized

as:
• INHERENT
• FUNDAMENTAL
• INALIENABLE
• IMPRESCRIPTIBLE
• INDIVISIBLE
• UNIVERSAL, and
• INTERDEPENDENT
 Inherent

Because they are not granted

by any person or authority

Ex. Right to dignity as a

human being
 Fundamental

Because without them the life and the

dignity of human beings will be
meaningless.

- Right to liberty, freedom of thought or

religion
 Inalienable

Because they cannot be rightfully taken

away from a free individual

Ex. Freedom from torture

 Imprescriptible

Because they cannot be lost

even by a long passage of time

Ex. Freedom of thought, conscience and

religion
 Indivisible

Because they are not capable of being divided.

They cannot be denied even when other rights
have already been enjoyed.

Ex. Freedom of expression of belief

or opinion
 Interdependent

Because the fulfillment or exercise of one

cannot be had without the realization
of the other

Ex. Right to life and existence cannot

be realized without the right to work.
According to struggle & recognition,
human rights are classified as:

1) First generation rights - covers

civil and political rights
2) Second generation rights - covers
economic, social and cultural
rights
3) Third generation rights - covers
collective rights
 Philippines is a signatory to
international agreements
Universal Declaration of Human Rights

International Covenant on Civil and

Political Rights

International Covenant on Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms

of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
1993 World Conference on
Human Rights
Reaffirmed that human rights
are the birthright of all
human beings.

The protection of
human rights
is the first responsibility
of government.
 Gender Mainstreaming Strategy:

The ULTIMATE GOAL is

GENDER EQUALITY

And hence has to be RIGHTS-BASED

A Rights-Based Approach
to
Development

A way of looking at
development
Poverty is not just about absence
of commodities and services
to meet needs, but rather a
question of disempowerment.
Development
should enable people
to empower themselves
to live the lives they value.
Development is the process of
realizing human dignity.
Human rights are
standards for human dignity.
Development seeks the
full realization of rights.
A rights-based approach...

Everybody has the right to

development:
Development
is not charity;
it is an obligation.
Human right imply human
duties:
There are
claim holders and duty-holders
in development

There are
accountabilities
in the development process
A rights-based approach to
development is both:

A way of doing development:

From needs to rights:

integrating human rights in
development practice
 HUMAN RIGHTS

The agenda to eradicate poverty

through the
economic empowerment
of women is
inextricably tied
to the ability of government to
protect and more importantly advance
their human rights.