What is a human right?

The right to education is a human right. A right is something which you are entitled to, which you can claim. Having a right means that someone else has an obligation. If someone has the right to free education, then the government or school can not require that you pay to access education (except through a broader system of tax collection). Human rights are universal and inalienable. They are inherent. We are born with them. They cannot be given, or taken away. As such, human rights are non-discriminatory, and should not be influenced by sex, ethnicity, nationality, etc. (although special measures, as long as they are reasonable and justifiable, can be introduced to ensure everyone has the equal opportunity to enjoy that right). They are the foundation of freedom, justice and peace, and are the basic standards without which people cannot live a life of dignity. They are proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and reinforced by many legally binding international covenants and conventions, as well as in national constitutions.

Although human rights are theoretically universal and inherent they can be denied through violations in practice. Often people are unable to access their human rights because of who they are, and where they live. Discrimination is rife in every society, limiting for example, women’s ability to participate in public forums (or household decision-making), or those from minority groups from receiving appropriate education. Discrimination, which prevents people from accessing their human rights, is an abuse, undermining the very concept of a universal right.