the legal, social and ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, what people are allowed or owed in society.
Some rights are considered inalienable human rights – that is, that they should be guaranteed to all human beings regardless.
Rights have often had to be won because they have not been guaranteed: for example, the right to marry for couples regardless of gender; or the right to have one’s gender officially recognised when it differs from sex assigned at birth. The fight to for one group to have the same rights other groups have is known as a fight for equal rights.
Originally published: 14th December, 2020
Last modified: 14th December, 2020