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Today, as we mark the end of the 2023 #16daysofactivsm campaign and celebrate world Human Rights Day, we at Project Right the Wrong would like to take this as an opportunity to reflect on the success of our campaign and one of the biggest human rights issue today.
Human Rights- The Africa Case Study
'Today, the reason why we still need an organisation like ours in not because we do not have human rights- it is because it is acceptable to blatantly disregard them' (Aanya Shah, Co-founder)
On this day, 75 years ago, the human rights declaration was signed. Today, in most of the countries, every citizen has the fundamental human rights most crucial for survival. But as we look back to that very day, it is not hard to question how effective that declaration was.
When we founded Project Right the Wrong, we were four teenagers in a world where socio-economic stability was one of the most vital factors to safeguard one's human rights. Nevertheless, if an individual must be in a 'position' to have those rights, they defy their very purpose.
648 million people worldwide earn only $2.15 per day, 60% of the population living in the Sub-Saharan Africa region (SCHOCH) it is hence vital to look at this region as a case study to know why multiple countries are often predisposed to the negligence of rights.
According to Kathryn Birdwell Wester, "Decolonization occurred primarily without women’s input and in the process women at times lost rights previously accorded them by native African custom. In contemporary sub-Saharan Africa women have little voice in the states responsible for protecting human rights; nor are they able to access the legal system which in any case is often unwilling to intervene in private affairs where women face significant violations of their human rights including domestic violence, sexual violence, marital rape and early marriage that increases the chances of becoming infected with HIV and developing cervical cancer from human papilloma virus (HPV)"
Child rights are also a significant concern in this region. Child solders are prominent and it not only leads to a system that brainwashes children into thinking their exploitation is 'normal', but conditions a generation that will be, in the future, unable to improve their nation's state, leading to the severe underdevelopment of Africa to worsen. According to Brook Breazeale, "These children are indoctrinated into a world of violence and terror through methods that sever ties to their communities (e.g. forced killing of family members and committing atrocities against their neighbors) and create drug addicted, traumatized, and dependent child soldiers and girl sexual slaves, domestic workers, spies and looters"
A flawed legal system prevents oppressed individuals from speaking up against their exploitation, too. This ensures that the issue of ill-structured societies festers within a country and amounts to a system that can remains flawed. Quoting Alayna Hamilton, "Rural populations lack access to legal assistance and Hamilton argues are thereby left powerless against centrally-imposed rule of law amounting to systemic oppression. Prisons are full of social deviants and political dissidents. Civil society organizations are banned or intimidated and unable to foster political participation."
Moreover, as the implementation of the Universal declaration of human rights spreads, there is increased resistance from populations when it contradicts traditional practices deep-rooted in society. "'Polygamy and women’s rights; rites of passage and children’s rights; and Faith Healers and health rights." These are simply few of many cultural practices that clash with the acceptance of the rights. To truly create a judicial system that uplifts the entire population of a country, the policies must not focus on abolishing the tradition as a whole, but individual practices that are harmful to the citizens. Quoting Britany Kühn, “To ensure the integrity of every individual, values of a society must be genuinely adapted, maintained, and facilitated from within.”
(Frazer)
16 Days Of Activism
16 days of activism, is 'an annual global campaign taking place from 25th November – 10th December, aiming to raise awareness around gender based violence (GBV). It begins on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25th November) and ends on International Human Rights Day (10th December), symbolically linking violence against women (VAW) as a violation against human rights.' (“- FGM/c Research Initiative”)
This year, we took part in advocating for action against GBV by running our own campaign led by Aanya Shah on Instagram, where we interacted with organisations like United Nations and posted content in the form of posts, polls, surveys and reels, providing our audience with resources to educate them on the issue.
The issues linked with GBV that we covered this year included #refugee rights , #LGBTQIA+ rights, sexual violence, AIDS awareness, technology-facilitated GBV, and the negligence to some forms of VAW. Along with this, all our co-founders pledged to create a safer, more equal world.
One marker of the success of our campaign is the fact that we were recognised by the UN across our social media accounts. Our post, that spoke about how we pledged to prevent GBV was reposted by @unwomenindia. We are also grateful to them for liking 2 of our other posts. The Sidhast Foundation, too, recognised our efforts.
A Message From Our Co-founders
This campaign and our work at this organisation has been significant to our personal growth, and this World Human Rights Day, our co-founders would like to share their personal perspectives on the issue of human rights. Here is what they would like to say:
Aanya Shah, our website designer, blogger, and social media content curator
Being with project Right the Wrong has opened my eyes to the flawed social structure of the world we live in, and made me realise how it inevitably gives way for the blatant disregard of human rights. I hence wish to dedicate my time at this organisation to improve the humanitarian landscape of the world as we know it
Hridaan Gala, our script writer and YouTube & Discord manager
Project Right the Wrong has shed light on the disturbing reality of the human rights concerns prevalent in our community, providing me with the means to stand up for the rights of those who have been silenced and disregarded. I am grateful for the chance to be associated with such an admirable and selfless organization, and I look forward to continuing to impact and uplift the lives of those most in need.
Author's note: In-text citation has been provided wherever appropriate. However, to review all the sources used, you can view detailed citations by clicking on the button below. We have used MLA9 as required by Cambridge. If we have unknowingly missed out on a citation, feel free to mail us regarding the same.
Very insightful case study. Where can I read the entire research paper?