Why we still need to fight for human rights
Seventy years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, appalling abuses are still being carried out against rights activists
TOMORROW marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) – borne from the ashes of the atrocities of the Second World War, when the United Nations resolved to learn the bitter lessons of the devastating conflict and build a better future for everyone, everywhere.
This unique document, which was formally adopted on December 10, 1948, carried an ambitious agenda – to ensure rights and freedoms are enjoyed by all people around the world underpinned by the belief we are all “born free and equal in dignity and rights”.
Seven decades on, as we consider the world around us, we must question whether we have cause to celebrate this anniversary. As Britain teeters on the brink of Brexit and the uncertain impact it will have on our legal protections, regressive regimes around the world continue to inflict appalling human rights abuses on their citizens, and people fleeing conflict risk death only to be demonised by hardline politicians – is there hope for the future?
Long considered a key architect of the UDHR, Eleanor Roosevelt believed in the possibility of a better future despite the bleak realities of a post-war world. She worked tirelessly on the text of the UDHR, ensuring the language was focused on human dignity and lobbied American and international leaders, both arguing against opponents and generating enthusiasm among those more open to the ideas. She described her approach this way: “I drive hard and when I get home I will be tired. The men on the Commission will be also!” And they were men. Roosevelt was the only woman on the drafting committee. Her legacy inspires generations of women around the world to defend human rights today. More than ever, their work is vital.
Earlier his year, Amnesty International published research showing how Twitter has become a toxic place for many women, with only 9% of British women believing the social media company is doing enough to stop online violence and abuse against women.
Scottish leaders Nicola Sturgeon and Ruth Davidson shared their powerful testimony with Amnesty, covering a fraction of the vile abuse they suffer daily. This matters because it causes a chilling effect for women considering entering politics or even participating in public, political discussions.
Women are under threat for defending human rights around the world. In November, Amnesty International documented how human rights activists in Saudi Arabia faced unspeakable abuse, including sexual harassment, torture and other forms of ill-treatment during interrogation.
In Argentina, Ireland and Poland, demonstrators rallied in vast numbers to demand an end to oppressive abortion laws. Closer to home in Northern Ireland, women can be sentenced to life in prison for having an abortion, and an estimated 23 women are forced to travel every week to seek medical treatment
I will defend the rights of my sisters until my last breath
that they cannot access in their own country.
At this time every year, Amnesty International supporters around the globe send millions of letters to people whose human rights have been violated through Write For Rights, the world’s biggest letter- writing campaign. This year, the focus is on brave women who have been jailed, tortured or even killed for their work defending human rights.
Atena Daemi campaigns against the death penalty in Iran. She is one of the many human rights activists who have been targeted by the Iranian authorities in recent years. She is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for criticising executions and human rights violations on social media.
When she was arrested in 2014, she was held in solitary confinement in an insect- infested cell, blindfolded and interrogated, often for more than 10 hours at a time, over a period of two months. Despite being jailed, Atena told us: “I will defend the rights of my sisters until my last breath.”
Nonhle Mbuthuma is a South African human rights activist campaigning against a company that wants to mine titanium on her ancestral land that could mean 5,000 people lose their homes. Harassed for her opposition to the mining, she has even survived an attempt on her life, but continues to be committed: “Some of my colleagues have been killed, and I know I could be too. But I am not scared.”
We are also sending messages of hope to women human rights defenders here in the UK, including campaigners in Northern Ireland.